Neves Felipe Marcel, Viana Ricardo Luiz, Pie Marcio Roberto
Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
PLoS One. 2017 Oct 9;12(10):e0185968. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185968. eCollection 2017.
In this study, we used recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) and recurrence plots (RPs) to compare the movement activity of individual workers of three ant species, as well as a gregarious beetle species. RQA and RPs quantify the number and duration of recurrences of a dynamical system, including a detailed quantification of signals that could be stochastic, deterministic, or both. First, we found substantial differences between the activity dynamics of beetles and ants, with the results suggesting that the beetles have quasi-periodic dynamics and the ants do not. Second, workers from different ant species varied with respect to their dynamics, presenting degrees of predictability as well as stochastic signals. Finally, differences were found among minor and major caste of the same (dimorphic) ant species. Our results underscore the potential of RQA and RPs in the analysis of complex behavioral patterns, as well as in general inferences on animal behavior and other biological phenomena.
在本研究中，我们使用递归量化分析（RQA）和递归图（RP）来比较三种蚂蚁物种以及一种群居甲虫物种的个体工蚁的运动活动。RQA和RP量化动态系统的递归次数和持续时间，包括对可能是随机、确定性或两者皆有的信号进行详细量化。首先，我们发现甲虫和蚂蚁的活动动态存在显著差异，结果表明甲虫具有准周期动态，而蚂蚁则没有。其次，不同蚂蚁物种的工蚁在动态方面存在差异，呈现出不同程度的可预测性以及随机信号。最后，在同一（二态）蚂蚁物种的工蚁和兵蚁之间也发现了差异。我们的结果强调了RQA和RP在分析复杂行为模式以及对动物行为和其他生物现象进行一般推断方面的潜力。
