Social Networks Key to Crickets’ Success
Researchers at the University of Guelph have studied crickets and determined that the insect’s social network remains unchanged each year, and over a long period of time, making them a great resource for vital information about animal networks. Since cricket’s have a stable network, researchers are able to conduct multiple experiments over time without having to worry about external variables, such as huge swings in population or climate change. Results from the study indicate that two individuals of the same sex will often never share a burrow, as it is detrimental to both partners.
Aspects of Game Theory are seen with these crickets, as stated in the article, “The male might share a burrow with a member of the opposite sex because for him, if he gets to mate with the female, it’s worth it. The female will go in first and then the male. It’s a risk but he’s kind of protecting her because if she dies, he will have no offspring. For him, it’s maybe worth it to give up his life if she survives and bears his offspring.” So in this case, the cricket has a higher risk but higher reward by entering the burrow after her.
Being that the social structure is so consistent, scientists can put multiple factors into one model in order to predict the network and draw valuable conclusions from the data, such as why an animal might have the social network it does. Learning from the data, these scientists are making connections to a new group of animals, red squirrels.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160830160657.htm