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GPS sheep tracking supports 40-year-old theory | GPS sheep tracking supports 40-year-old theory |
(1 day later) | |
By Nick Crumpton BBC News | By Nick Crumpton BBC News |
Instead of fleeing randomly when faced with a predator, sheep attempt to bury themselves within their flock, new UK research has shown. | Instead of fleeing randomly when faced with a predator, sheep attempt to bury themselves within their flock, new UK research has shown. |
The theory that animals moving in groups retreat towards the centre of their flocks if a predator appears has been tested before. | The theory that animals moving in groups retreat towards the centre of their flocks if a predator appears has been tested before. |
But the researchers are the first to show that sheep behave this way using GPS technology. | But the researchers are the first to show that sheep behave this way using GPS technology. |
Details of the work are href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(12)00529-5" >published in the journal Current Biology. | |
Dr Andrew King of The Royal Veterinary College in London co-authored the paper with colleagues from UCL and Cambridge University. | Dr Andrew King of The Royal Veterinary College in London co-authored the paper with colleagues from UCL and Cambridge University. |
After training an Australian Kelpie working dog to herd a flock of sheep towards an open gate, Dr King's team tracked the movement of the individual sheep as they reacted to the threat and interacted with each other. | After training an Australian Kelpie working dog to herd a flock of sheep towards an open gate, Dr King's team tracked the movement of the individual sheep as they reacted to the threat and interacted with each other. |
Their research shows that as the dog got within 70m of the flock, the sheep began to clump towards the centre of the group. | Their research shows that as the dog got within 70m of the flock, the sheep began to clump towards the centre of the group. |
The British evolutionary biologist Bill Hamilton predicted that individuals within groups move towards the centre when danger appears in order to reduce the chance of being picked off by a predator. | The British evolutionary biologist Bill Hamilton predicted that individuals within groups move towards the centre when danger appears in order to reduce the chance of being picked off by a predator. |
Controlling the threat | Controlling the threat |
However, studying group reactions to predation is very difficult, as it is often challenging to predict when an attack is imminent. | However, studying group reactions to predation is very difficult, as it is often challenging to predict when an attack is imminent. |
By using the sheep dog, the researchers controlled the experiment and by placing GPS receivers in a small "backpack" on each sheep, it was possible to record all the movements of the animals. | By using the sheep dog, the researchers controlled the experiment and by placing GPS receivers in a small "backpack" on each sheep, it was possible to record all the movements of the animals. |
"For the first time, we could show the individual movement trajectories of all the animals involved," explained Dr King. | "For the first time, we could show the individual movement trajectories of all the animals involved," explained Dr King. |
"Before, we could 'say, yep, they move in and run to the centre'. But because of the GPS backpacks tracking movement every second, [we were able] to monitor every animal when they were under threat". | "Before, we could 'say, yep, they move in and run to the centre'. But because of the GPS backpacks tracking movement every second, [we were able] to monitor every animal when they were under threat". |
"The field of collective behaviour is undergoing rapid change at the moment," Prof Jens Krause of Humboldt University in Germany, who was not involved with the project, told BBC News. | "The field of collective behaviour is undergoing rapid change at the moment," Prof Jens Krause of Humboldt University in Germany, who was not involved with the project, told BBC News. |
"We are getting better and better techniques for studying what is going on and understanding the mechanisms by which animals organise and accomplish collective feats, like sudden changes in direction." | "We are getting better and better techniques for studying what is going on and understanding the mechanisms by which animals organise and accomplish collective feats, like sudden changes in direction." |
The researchers hope their work will act as a baseline on which further studies into how neurological changes can affect behaviours between individuals can be built. | The researchers hope their work will act as a baseline on which further studies into how neurological changes can affect behaviours between individuals can be built. |
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