A common rule for decision making in animal collectives across species

Abstract

A diversity of decision-making systems has been observed in animal collectives. In some species, choices depend on the differences of the numbers of animals that have chosen each of the available options, whereas in other species on the relative differences (a behavior known as Weber's law), or follow more complex rules. We here show that this diversity of decision systems corresponds to a single rule of decision making in collectives. We first obtained a decision rule based on Bayesian estimation that uses the information provided by the behaviors of the other individuals to improve the estimation of the structure of the world. We then tested this rule in decision experiments using zebrafish (Danio rerio), and in existing rich datasets of argentine ants (Linepithema humile) and sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), showing that a unified model across species can quantitatively explain the diversity of decision systems. Further, these results show that the different counting systems used by animals, including humans, can emerge from the common principle of using social information to make good decisions.