Abstract

Animals exhibit remarkable examples of collective movement spanning a broad range of time scales, from rapid antipredator behaviors by schools of fish to long-range migrations in search of resources. The rapid, organized motion seen during antipredator behaviors have inspired telepathy or hive mind theories, but can in reality be explained by relatively simple interaction rules shaped by evolution. Here I will walk through our current understanding of collective decision-making before describing my current research into the social foraging strategies of deep-diving toothed whales, with a focus on how acoustic signals help mediate group coordination.

Short bio

Frants is a behavioral ecologist and bioacoustician interested in how social animals solve ecological challenges. His research is centered around high-resolution empirical studies of moving animal groups using biologging tags. Frants got his PhD from Aarhus University in 2011 and has since held postdoctoral fellowships at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA, USA, and Princeton University, NJ, USA.

Frants Jensen's project at AIAS

What is a Fellows' Seminar?

The AIAS Fellows' Seminar is a session of seminars held by the AIAS fellow or by other speakers proposed by the fellows. In each seminar, one fellow will present and discuss his/her current research and research project, closing off with a question and discussion session.

All seminars are held in English and open to the public. Registration to the seminar is not necessary. Read more about the AIAS Fellows' Seminar here.