This makes sense from the perspective of information reliability.
The dynamics of collective detection have an interesting feature. Which cue(s)
do individuals use as evidence of predator attack? In some cases, when an individual detects a predator, its best response is to seek shelter. ( ① )
Departure from the group may signal danger to nonvigilant animals and cause what appears to be a coordinated flushing of prey from the area. ( ② )
Studies on dark-eyed
juncos (a
type of bird)
support the view that nonvigilant animals attend to departures of individual group mates but that the departure of multiple individuals causes a greater escape response in the nonvigilant individuals. ( ③ )
If one group member departs, it might have done so for a number of reasons that have little to do with predation threat. ( ④ )
If nonvigilant animals escaped each time a single member left the group, they would frequently respond when there was no predator (a
false alarm). ( ⑤ )
On the other hand, when several individuals depart the group at the same time, a true threat is much more likely to be present. *predator: 포식자 **vigilant: 경계하는 ***flushing: 날아오름
