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Cumulative culture can emerge from collective intelligence in animal groups

Author

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  • Takao Sasaki

    (University of Oxford)

  • Dora Biro

    (University of Oxford)

Abstract

Studies of collective intelligence in animal groups typically overlook potential improvement through learning. Although knowledge accumulation is recognized as a major advantage of group living within the framework of Cumulative Cultural Evolution (CCE), the interplay between CCE and collective intelligence has remained unexplored. Here, we use homing pigeons to investigate whether the repeated removal and replacement of individuals in experimental groups (a key method in testing for CCE) alters the groups’ solution efficiency over successive generations. Homing performance improves continuously over generations, and later-generation groups eventually outperform both solo individuals and fixed-membership groups. Homing routes are more similar in consecutive generations within the same chains than between chains, indicating cross-generational knowledge transfer. Our findings thus show that collective intelligence in animal groups can accumulate progressive modifications over time. Furthermore, our results satisfy the main criteria for CCE and suggest potential mechanisms for CCE that do not rely on complex cognition.

Suggested Citation

  • Takao Sasaki & Dora Biro, 2017. "Cumulative culture can emerge from collective intelligence in animal groups," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-6, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15049
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15049
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    Cited by:

    1. E. Reindl & A. L. Gwilliams & L. G. Dean & R. L. Kendal & C. Tennie, 2020. "Skills and motivations underlying children’s cumulative cultural learning: case not closed," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Heather Williams & Andrew Scharf & Anna R. Ryba & D. Ryan Norris & Daniel J. Mennill & Amy E. M. Newman & Stéphanie M. Doucet & Julie C. Blackwood, 2022. "Cumulative cultural evolution and mechanisms for cultural selection in wild bird songs," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Patrik Byholm & Martin Beal & Natalie Isaksson & Ulrik Lötberg & Susanne Åkesson, 2022. "Paternal transmission of migration knowledge in a long-distance bird migrant," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-7, December.
    4. Thibaud Gruber & Lydia Luncz & Julia Mörchen & Caroline Schuppli & Rachel L. Kendal & Kimberley Hockings, 2019. "Cultural change in animals: a flexible behavioural adaptation to human disturbance," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-9, December.
    5. James Winters, 2019. "Escaping optimization traps: the role of cultural adaptation and cultural exaptation in facilitating open-ended cumulative dynamics," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Nik, Vahid M. & Hosseini, Mohammad, 2023. "CIRLEM: a synergic integration of Collective Intelligence and Reinforcement learning in Energy Management for enhanced climate resilience and lightweight computation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 350(C).
    7. Sukyoung Won & Hee Eun Lee & Young Shik Cho & Kijun Yang & Jeong Eun Park & Seung Jae Yang & Jeong Jae Wie, 2022. "Multimodal collective swimming of magnetically articulated modular nanocomposite robots," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.

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