Modeling animal contests based on spatio-temporal dynamics

TL;DR

This paper introduces a comprehensive theoretical model for animal contests that uses physical interaction principles to simulate and analyze contest dynamics, including assessment strategies and asymmetric behaviors.

Contribution

The model uniquely integrates spatio-temporal dynamics with empirical verification, bridging the gap between empirical observations and theoretical understanding of animal contests.

Findings

Simulation of contest dynamics in various scenarios

Analysis of assessment strategies and contest durations

Exploration of asymmetric contest behaviors like chase dynamics

Abstract

We present a general theoretical model for the spatio-temporal dynamics of animal contests. Inspired by interactions between physical particles, the model is formulated in terms of effective interaction potentials, which map typical elements of contest behaviour into empirically verifiable rules of contestant motion. This allows us to simulate the observable dynamics of contests in various realistic scenarios, notably in dyadic contests over a localized resource. Assessment strategies previously formulated in game-theoretic models, as well as the effects of fighting costs, can be described as variations in our model's parameters. Furthermore, the trends of contest duration associated with these assessment strategies can be derived and understood within the model. Detailed description of the contestants' motion enables the exploration of spatio-temporal properties of asymmetric contests, such as the emergence of chase dynamics. Overall, our framework aims to bridge the growing gap between empirical capabilities and theory in this widespread aspect of animal behaviour.