Ravignani Andrea, de Reus Koen
Artificial Intelligence Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
Department Life Sciences, Erasmus University College, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Evol Bioinform Online. 2019 Jan 12;15:1176934318823558. doi: 10.1177/1176934318823558. eCollection 2019.
Time is one crucial dimension conveying information in animal communication. Evolution has shaped animals' nervous systems to produce signals with temporal properties fitting their socio-ecological niches. Many quantitative models of mechanisms underlying rhythmic behaviour exist, spanning insects, crustaceans, birds, amphibians, and mammals. However, these computational and mathematical models are often presented in isolation. Here, we provide an overview of the main mathematical models employed in the study of animal rhythmic communication among conspecifics. After presenting basic definitions and mathematical formalisms, we discuss each individual model. These computational models are then compared using simulated data to uncover similarities and key differences in the underlying mechanisms found across species. Our review of the empirical literature is admittedly limited. We stress the need of using comparative computer simulations - both before and after animal experiments - to better understand animal timing in interaction. We hope this article will serve as a potential first step towards a common computational framework to describe temporal interactions in animals, including humans.
时间是动物交流中传递信息的一个关键维度。进化塑造了动物的神经系统，使其产生具有适合其社会生态位的时间特性的信号。存在许多关于节律行为潜在机制的定量模型，涵盖昆虫、甲壳类动物、鸟类、两栖动物和哺乳动物。然而，这些计算模型和数学模型往往是孤立呈现的。在此，我们概述了用于研究同种动物间节律性交流的主要数学模型。在给出基本定义和数学形式化表述后，我们讨论每个单独的模型。然后使用模拟数据对这些计算模型进行比较，以揭示不同物种潜在机制中的相似性和关键差异。诚然，我们对实证文献的综述是有限的。我们强调在动物实验之前和之后都需要使用比较计算机模拟，以便更好地理解动物在相互作用中的时间把握。我们希望本文将成为迈向描述包括人类在内的动物时间相互作用的通用计算框架的潜在第一步。
