鴿子等鳥類群飛時總能“步伐”一致,，堪比特技表演,。英國和匈牙利科研人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，鴿群在飛行過程中實行“民主”,，所有鴿子都能參與決策,，從而協(xié)調(diào)群體行為。
這項研究結(jié)果刊登于最新一期英國《自然》雜志,。
共同決策
英國牛津大學和匈牙利厄特沃什大學研究人員在匈牙利首都布達佩斯聯(lián)手實施這項研究,。他們給10多只家養(yǎng)鴿子背上裝有微型全球定位系統(tǒng)（GPS）的“背包”，然后經(jīng)由這種儀器觀測這群鴿子飛行時的行為,。
研究人員可以明確區(qū)分鴿群中的“首領”與“跟隨者”,，前者通常在鴿群前端飛行，但大多數(shù)“地位較低”的“跟隨者”同樣可以影響群體的飛行方向,。
英國《獨立報》援引研究帶頭人,、牛津大學動物學教授多拉·比羅博士的話報道，先前研究猜測,，鴿群飛行方向可能由一個或者數(shù)個“首領”決定,。不過，鴿群的決策制定機制實際上更為“成熟和精煉”,，“每一只鴿子都能對群體行為作出某種形式的貢獻”,。
比羅把這種決策制定機制稱作“靈活的領導體系”。這使得個體可以對群體施加影響,，讓鴿群飛行成為“讓人驚嘆的特技表演”,。
權(quán)力有別
比羅認為，盡管每一只鴿子都能參與決策,，但并非完全平等,。
“鴿群中沒有一個特定首領，但也沒有那種所有鴿子都能平等‘投票’的決策制定機制,。盡管每一只鴿子都能參與‘投票’,，但‘投票’的分量取決于鴿子的地位，”她說,。
地位較高的鴿子可以制定影響較大的決策,，另外,，它們所做決策比地位較低成員的決策更有分量；后者的決策只能影響等級比它們更低的成員,。(生物谷Bioon.com)
更多閱讀
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PNAS：棘魚偏好群體活動
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Nature 464, 890-893 (8 April 2010) | doi:10.1038/nature08891
Hierarchical group dynamics in pigeon flocks
Máté Nagy1, Zsuzsa ákos1, Dora Biro2 & Tamás Vicsek1,3
Department of Biological Physics, E.tv.s University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1A, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
Statistical and Biological Physics Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Pázmány Péter sétány 1A, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
Animals that travel together in groups display a variety of fascinating motion patterns thought to be the result of delicate local interactions among group members1, 2, 3. Although the most informative way of investigating and interpreting collective movement phenomena would be afforded by the collection of high-resolution spatiotemporal data from moving individuals, such data are scarce4, 5, 6, 7 and are virtually non-existent for long-distance group motion within a natural setting because of the associated technological difficulties8. Here we present results of experiments in which track logs of homing pigeons flying in flocks of up to 10 individuals have been obtained by high-resolution lightweight GPS devices and analysed using a variety of correlation functions inspired by approaches common in statistical physics. We find a well-defined hierarchy among flock members from data concerning leading roles in pairwise interactions, defined on the basis of characteristic delay times between birds’ directional choices. The average spatial position of a pigeon within the flock strongly correlates with its place in the hierarchy, and birds respond more quickly to conspecifics perceived primarily through the left eye—both results revealing differential roles for birds that assume different positions with respect to flock-mates. From an evolutionary perspective, our results suggest that hierarchical organization of group flight may be more efficient than an egalitarian one, at least for those flock sizes that permit regular pairwise interactions among group members, during which leader–follower relationships are consistently manifested.
