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Caribou Drone Study

My article is from the Santa Fe Institute and I obtained it through biology news net.  The article was posted March 26th, 2018 and is titled “Caribou drone study shows enormous variation within heard.”  As a criminal justice major with a minor in biology I hope to work as a game warden after graduation dealing with poaching, fishing, and hunting laws.  As a result of my study interest I was drawn to this article dealing with the diversity between the same herd of caribou. This article follows the migration of the Dolphin-Union caribou from fall to spring.  These researchers used drones to follow these caribou across their migration and collect footage which they later analyzed and collected data from. They could see through the trajectories of each caribou how the social influence of each member affects their movements within heard patterns.  Through this they found enormous variation from individual to individual within the same heard. They also learned that these caribou are more influenced by the caribou in front of them rather than from side to side and information is passed down systematically from front to back which follows the traditional theory that those in front lead the heard.  This study is so important in the fact that it not only highlights what new developments can arise from increasing technology but also that the classic assumption of collective behavior that individuals of a heard behave similarly is wrong. This can be studied across other heard like animals to understand more about their tendencies and motivations behind specific actions.  I also apply this to my field of criminal justice where there tends to be assumptions based on ethnic groups or social classes. The individual does not fit into the same behaviors as the group and should not be treated as such. I think this article is so interesting and really highlights traditional ways of thinking the world works may be right but may also be wrong and there is always more to learn from old species.  

 Santa Fe Institute. Caribou Drone Study Shows Enormous Variation Within Heard. March 26th, 2018.Retrieved from: https://www.santafe.edu/news-center/news/caribou-drone-collective-movement

 -Brooke Legeman
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Comments

  1. VegeycrackerApril 27, 2018 at 8:59 PM

    I think that the use of drones is an interesting matter when studying wildlife, and I am not personally convinced that it is effective, especially when studying the social behaviors of animals. The reason I say this, is that Drones are noisy. Even the quiet ones are noisy in comparison to some environments, like arctic tundra, and animals are easily spooked by the high pitched whine, and a spooked animal never acts the same as one being observed from a quiet post. I do wonder though, as technology advances, if we will be able to create longer range, quieter machines that don't cause the possible conflict, and be able to better study animals, both socially, and with upgraded sensors, even get rapid detailed analysis of anything from their basic vital signs to their fecal composition to get a better idea of their total diet. PS 007

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