Abstract
ABSTRACTForming collectives can generate substantial benefits, but much less is known about the costs that individuals incur in doing so. We simultaneously captured individual movement, within-group position, leadership, and heart rate for each member in a group of wild vulturine guineafowl. Individuals had significantly increased heart rates when moving collectively, occupying more central positions within the group, or attempting to initiate directional movement when consensus among group members was low. Such cardiac system activation can be indicative of physiological stress, entailing increased energy expenditure and long-term physiological damage. Thus, individuals paid the highest physiological costs in situations where theory predicts the benefits of collective behaviours should be greatest, revealing a hidden trade-off of social living.
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory