Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Integr Comp Biol. 2021 Oct 4;61(3):783-786. doi: 10.1093/icb/icab151.
Investigating how animals navigate space and time is key to understanding communication. Small differences in spatial positioning or timing can mean the difference between a message received and a missed connection. However, these spatio-temporal dynamics are often overlooked or are subject to simplifying assumptions in investigations of animal signaling. This special issue addresses this significant knowledge gap by integrating work from researchers with disciplinary backgrounds in neuroscience, cognitive ecology, sensory ecology, computer science, evolutionary biology, animal behavior, and philosophy. This introduction to the special issue outlines the novel questions and approaches that will advance our understanding of spatio-temporal dynamics of animal communication. We highlight papers that consider the evolution of spatio-temporal dynamics of behavior across sensory modalities and social contexts. We summarize contributions that address the neural and physiological mechanisms in senders and receivers that shape communication. We then turn to papers that introduce cutting edge technologies that will revolutionize our ability to track spatio-temporal dynamics of individuals during social encounters. The interdisciplinary collaborations that gave rise to these papers emerged in part from a novel workshop-symposium model, which we briefly summarize for those interested in fostering syntheses across disciplines.
研究动物如何在空间和时间中导航是理解通信的关键。在空间定位或时间上的微小差异可能意味着信息接收和错失连接之间的区别。然而，在动物信号研究中，这些时空动态往往被忽视或受到简化假设的影响。本特刊通过整合神经科学、认知生态学、感官生态学、计算机科学、进化生物学、动物行为和哲学等学科背景的研究人员的工作，解决了这一重大知识差距。本特刊介绍概述了将推进我们对动物通信时空动态理解的新问题和新方法。我们重点介绍了那些考虑跨感觉模态和社会背景的行为时空动态进化的论文。我们总结了那些解决发送者和接收者中塑造通信的神经和生理机制的贡献。然后，我们转向介绍将彻底改变我们在社交互动期间跟踪个体时空动态能力的前沿技术的论文。促成这些论文的跨学科合作部分源于一种新颖的研讨会-专题讨论模式，我们为那些有兴趣促进跨学科综合的人简要总结了该模式。
