Behavioral Diversity Research Articles

High-throughput screening of the transport behavior of tetragonal perovskites.

Halide perovskites have attracted attention due to their low cost and excellent optoelectronic properties. Although their optical properties gained widespread consensus, there was still divergence in understanding carrier transport behavior. In this study, the mobility of tetragonal perovskites was investigated by empirical models, including longitudinal acoustic phonon (LAP) and polar optical phonon (POP) models. The results revealed that the mobility predicted from the LAP model was much higher than that from the POP model. A longitudinal optical phonon (LOP) was considered as the decisive scattering source for charge carriers in perovskites. Furthermore, the mobility was extremely sensitive to z-axis strain, and 8 types of perovskites with high carrier mobility were screened. Using the experimental lattice constants, the predicted mobility of CsSnI3 was μe,z = 1428 and μh,z = 2310 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. The tetragonal CsSnI3 has high mobility and moderate bandgaps, suggesting potential applications in high-efficiency solar cells.

ENGAGING OLDER ADULTS AND CAREGIVERS AS STAKEHOLDERS IN THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATORY

Abstract Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds the unique potential to capture older adult functional and behavioral diversity and improve geriatric care. Yet a gap exists between new technologies and the real-world needs of their target populations. Currently in the United States, three Collaboratories support novel AI projects in Aging Research. As the Stakeholder Engagement Core of the Johns Hopkins AI Collaboratory, in this poster, we share early lessons of forming a ‘Council’ of stakeholders – a group with the charge of informing pilot AI projects longitudinally. The Council was envisioned to include 10-15 persons: older adults, caregivers, and clinicians. We adopted different outreach techniques for clinicians versus non-clinicians; leveraged existing relationships with affiliated Memory and Social Clinics; individually approached community dwelling older adults and caregivers including homebound older adults and older adults with disabilities; and reached out to clinicians and advocates known to be committed to geriatric care. We developed plain language materials and explained the meaning of ’AI’ and ’Stakeholder Engagement’. Five out of 5 outreached clinicians, and 10 out of 20 older adults/caregivers agreed to serve on the Council. Many older adults on our Council had difficulty using their email and computer and required support. Several caregivers declined due to high caregiving demands and many older adults with multiple chronic conditions declined due to high personal needs; all reiterated their interest in the topic area despite declining participation. Future novel-technology projects should ensure inclusion of diverse stakeholders; incorporating a flexible plan of engaging high-needs older adults and caregivers is required.

Endogenous Credit, Business Cycle, and Portfolio Selection

News story for “Endogenous Credit, Limited Commitment, Business Cycle” Countercyclical Investment Patterns with Endogenously Determined Credit Anticipated returns are sufficiently high to offset the elevated risks during downturns, presenting favorable investment opportunities. For instance, Warren Buffett accumulated more than $10 billion in profits amidst the 2008 financial crisis, as highlighted in his Wall Street Journal interview from October 2013: “In terms of simple profitability, an average investor could have performed just as well investing in the stock market if they bought during the panic period.” In “Endogenous Credit, Limited Commitment, Business Cycle,” Choi, Koo, Lim, and Yoo reveal a divergence in investment behavior between affluent and less affluent individuals during economic downturns. Whereas wealthier individuals tend to increase their exposure to risky investments, less affluent individuals tend to reduce theirs. We employ rigorous modeling and solution analysis to establish endogenous borrowing constraints in general equilibrium, elucidating the observed investment patterns.

Neural Categorical Priors for Physics-Based Character Control

Recent advances in learning reusable motion priors have demonstrated their effectiveness in generating naturalistic behaviors. In this paper, we propose a new learning framework in this paradigm for controlling physics-based characters with improved motion quality and diversity over existing methods. The proposed method uses reinforcement learning (RL) to initially track and imitate life-like movements from unstructured motion clips using the discrete information bottleneck, as adopted in the Vector Quantized Variational AutoEncoder (VQ-VAE). This structure compresses the most relevant information from the motion clips into a compact yet informative latent space, i.e., a discrete space over vector quantized codes. By sampling codes in the space from a trained categorical prior distribution, high-quality life-like behaviors can be generated, similar to the usage of VQ-VAE in computer vision. Although this prior distribution can be trained with the supervision of the encoder's output, it follows the original motion clip distribution in the dataset and could lead to imbalanced behaviors in our setting. To address the issue, we further propose a technique named prior shifting to adjust the prior distribution using curiosity-driven RL. The outcome distribution is demonstrated to offer sufficient behavioral diversity and significantly facilitates upper-level policy learning for downstream tasks. We conduct comprehensive experiments using humanoid characters on two challenging downstream tasks, sword-shield striking and two-player boxing game. Our results demonstrate that the proposed framework is capable of controlling the character to perform considerably high-quality movements in terms of behavioral strategies, diversity, and realism. Videos, codes, and data are available at https://tencent-roboticsx.github.io/NCP/.

The Sensory Ecology of Speciation.

In this work, we explore the potential influence of sensory ecology on speciation, including but not limited to the concept of sensory drive, which concerns the coevolution of signals and sensory systems with the local environment. The sensory environment can influence individual fitness in a variety of ways, thereby affecting the evolution of both pre- and postmating reproductive isolation. Previous work focused on sensory drive has undoubtedly advanced the field, but we argue that it may have also narrowed our understanding of the broader influence of the sensory ecology on speciation. Moreover, the clearest examples of sensory drive are largely limited to aquatic organisms, which may skew the influence of contributing factors. We review the evidence for sensory drive across environmental conditions, and in this context discuss the importance of more generalized effects of sensory ecology on adaptive behavioral divergence. Finally, we consider the potential of rapid environmental change to influence reproductive barriers related to sensory ecologies. Our synthesis shows the importance of sensory conditions for local adaptation and divergence in a range of behavioral contexts and extends our understanding of the interplay between sensory ecology and speciation.

Motile Living Biobots Self-Construct from Adult Human Somatic Progenitor Seed Cells.

Fundamental knowledge gaps exist about the plasticity of cells from adult soma and the potential diversity of body shape and behavior in living constructs derived from genetically wild-type cells. Here anthrobots are introduced, a spheroid-shaped multicellular biological robot (biobot) platform with diameters ranging from 30 to 500microns and cilia-powered locomotive abilities. Each Anthrobot begins as a single cell, derived from the adult human lung, and self-constructs into a multicellular motile biobot after being cultured in extra cellular matrix for 2 weeks and transferred into a minimally viscous habitat. Anthrobots exhibit diverse behaviors with motility patterns ranging from tight loops to straight lines and speeds ranging from 5-50micronss-1 . The anatomical investigations reveal that this behavioral diversity is significantly correlated with their morphological diversity. Anthrobots can assume morphologies with fully polarized or wholly ciliated bodies and spherical or ellipsoidal shapes, each related to a distinct movement type. Anthrobots are found to be capable of traversing, andinducing rapid repair of scratches in, cultured human neural cell sheets in vitro. By controlling microenvironmental cues in bulk, novel structures, with new and unexpected behavior and biomedically-relevant capabilities, can be discovered in morphogenetic processes without direct genetic editing or manual sculpting.

Semantic-based assembly framework for the generation of travel demand

This work applies a knowledge modelling approach in the design of a framework for the generation of travel demand for traffic simulation applications. The proposed framework is based on interchangeable modules that integrate the main stages of travel demand modelling supported by an engineered knowledge base. This approach is intended to promote greater behavioural diversity, incorporate more diverse contextual data, facilitate access to online datasets, and support users to undertake and validate investigations across a range of models and implementations. The framework provides the user with direct control to modify the schema, control the selection of data, select alternative modules to execute, and the potential to remotely retrieve data and execute modules. The framework is investigated through a prototype, which generated travel demand across a full day and performed simulation utilising two third-party traffic simulators based on the configuration by the user schema. The problem of travel demand generation was separated into discrete task modules with identification of features for alternative design or further modularisation. The prototype evaluation generated multimode travel demand that was successfully tested on third-party traffic simulators and evidenced the fitness of semantic technologies in building simulator-agnostic interchangeable framework modules that satisfy the need for configurable travel modelling. The findings of the paper also contribute to the understanding of the challenges in utilising Semantic Web technologies for implementing travel demand generation. It is proposed that the framework provides a basis to develop new and existing approaches to travel demand generation to improve modelling outcomes and adoption.

In the Lyme light: individual trait determinants of Borrelia burgdorferi infection in Peromyscus mice

Abstract Disease ecologists commonly use abiotic factors (e.g. temperature and moisture) or measures of biodiversity (e.g. species richness) to predict Lyme disease transmission patterns, but variance in infection probability among individuals within a population is poorly understood. Most studies assume intraspecific consistency, but recent evidence suggests that individual traits, such as animal personality, may drive differences in encounter rates with infected vectors and pathogen transmission probabilities through differential space use and microhabitat selection, leading to intraspecific variation in infection probability. In addition, because vectors and hosts are nonrandomly distributed across a landscape, land-use changes that modify key habitat features—such as forest management practices—may substantially alter associations between individual traits and infection probability. To address these gaps in our knowledge, we used a large-scale capture–mark–recapture study targeting Peromyscus mice in Maine, United States, to test whether personality drives probability of Borrelia burgdorferi infection in hosts within managed forest compartments with different silvicultural treatments. Specifically, we tested effects of individual phenotypic traits (physical and behavioral) and environmental traits (microhabitat and forest type) on infection probability within 2 species: P. leucopus and P. maniculatus. We found evidence that boldness negatively influences infection probability in P. maniculatus, and that body mass positively influences infection probability in both species. We found no effect of mouse density, microhabitat, or forest type in our analyses. These results suggest that personalities vary in their functional contributions to the natural cycle of B. burgdorferi, and that broader integration of behavioral diversity in disease ecology studies may aid in identifying key transmission zones for this rapidly expanding vector-borne zoonosis.

Sensory Stimulation as a Means of Sustained Enhancement of Well-Being in Leopard Geckos, Eublepharis macularius (Eublepharidae, Squamata).

Although the private keeping of reptiles has boomed in most western countries since the millennium, studies dealing with the recognition and promotion of welfare in these reptiles seem to represent a blind spot of scientific attention. The vast majority of studies from the field of animal welfare science still concern mammals and birds. The leopard gecko is probably the most common lizard that is kept in domestic terrariums worldwide. Due to its characteristic as an ecological generalist, it is easy to keep and breed, and it is considered a good "starter reptile" for beginners as it "condones" husbandry mistakes, even for extended periods. However, being a mass species is not a second-class classification. They, too, have an equal claim to good well-being as all animals in human care. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis of whether an increase in stimulus density leads to an increase in activity and behavioural diversity and, thus, an increase in welfare. For this purpose, 18 leopard geckos were fed insects that were ≤1 cm in size, and both the quantity and quality of behaviour was documented and analysed in the pre-intervention, intervention and post-intervention stages. In addition, it was of interest whether behavioural indicators could be identified that indicate a state of positive well-being. The results showed that this type of enrichment led to a quantitative doubling of the activity levels from the baseline (total of 12,519 behavioural elements) to the intervention (total of 25,366 behavioural elements). And even 11 months after the introduction of small insect feeding (post-intervention total of 23,267 behavioural elements), the activity level was still significantly increased. The behavioural diversity, as the absolute number of behavioural categories across all 18 leopard geckos, also increased, although less than the behavioural intensity, between the baseline (5507 behavioural categories) and intervention (6451 behavioural categories) and between the baseline and post-intervention (6079 behavioural categories). The results clearly show that feeding small insects to leopard geckos is a very efficient tool to increase the welfare of leopard geckos. Attractively, this feeding regime can be implemented by any leopard gecko keeper without significant additional cost or time, and therefore, these methods have a potentially high impact.

Noise and light pollution elicit endocrine responses in urban but not forest frogs

Urban areas are characterised by the presence of sensory pollutants, such as anthropogenic noise and artificial light at night (ALAN). Animals can quickly adapt to novel environmental conditions by adjusting their behaviour, which is proximately regulated by endocrine systems. While endocrine responses to sensory pollution have been widely reported, this has not often been linked to changes in behaviour, hampering the understanding of adaptiveness of endocrine responses. Our aim was, therefore, to investigate the effects of urbanisation, specifically urban noise and light pollution, on hormone levels in male urban and forest túngara frogs (Engystomops pustulosus), a species with reported population divergence in behaviour in response to urbanisation. We quantified testosterone and corticosterone release rates in the field and in the lab before and after exposure to urban noise and/or light. We show that urban and forest frogs differ in their endocrine phenotypes under field as well as lab conditions. Moreover, in urban frogs exposure to urban noise and light led, respectively, to an increase in testosterone and decrease in corticosterone, whereas in forest frogs sensory pollutants did not elicit any endocrine response. Our results show that urbanisation, specifically noise and light pollution, can modulate hormone levels in urban and forest populations differentially. The observed endocrine responses are consistent with the observed behavioural changes in urban frogs, providing a proximate explanation for the presumably adaptive behavioural changes in response to urbanisation.

93 Animal Based Ingredients in Diets for Captive Exotic Animals

Abstract Animal managers in zoological facilities are faced with unique challenges when feeding large collections of species. Few nutrient requirements of exotic species are known or established; therefore, diet formulation is a series of scientific extrapolations, mingled with an understanding of natural history of individual species. Goals of nutrition programs in zoos also include supporting behavioral diversity. This leads to the use of a wide variety of animal-based ingredients within zoo nutrition programs to support species across multiple taxa inclusive of amphibians, reptiles, avians, mammals and fish. Commonly used rendered protein ingredients such as fish meal and other meat meals are commonly used in extruded and processed diets developed for exotic species. For example, a commercially marketed extruded diet designed for cranes includes fish meal, porcine meat and bone meal and dried whey. An extruded diet for small exotic felids includes chicken meal, poultry by-product meal and fish meal. While these are commonly accepted animal-based ingredients across different animal industries, other animal protein ingredients are well-accepted in zoos and yet fail to reach general acceptance in other industries including pet food. Some of these common animal-based ingredients used in various zoo diets include insects, whole prey (rodents), raw meat (inclusive of horse and pork) and raw organ meats. These ingredients are often met with reluctance, misunderstanding, or dated information when applied to other animal industries. One example of dated information is the fear of using raw pork in relation to the risk of trichinella. The zoo nutrition industry may provide benefit to other animal industries when exploring opportunities to safely utilize and include novel animal-based ingredients in diet formulations.

Never be mute about bird welfare: Swanning around with environmental enrichment.

Environmental enrichment (EE) is commonly provided to animals managed under human care, being beneficial to behavioral diversity and improving animal welfare. Use of EE appears to be particularly beneficial to individual wild animals spending a short period of time in captivity, for example, as part of conservation or rehabilitation programs. This paper documents a case study on the application and relevance of EE for a group of captive mute swans housed in a rescue center. Observational data were analyzed for two groups of juvenile swans that were provided with a physical EE device to increase time spent foraging. Periods of no EE were observed and compared to data from when birds were provided with EE. Results show that EE promoted foraging time and helped to reduce long periods of inactivity in captive birds. EE helped to reduce occurrence of captive-focused (i.e., abnormal behaviors) although these was already seen at very low rates. Inactivity as a measure of welfare in captive swans specifically (and waterbirds generally) should be further investigated to understand potential impacts on bird health. Our research shows the benefits of simple and easy-to-use EE devices on captive animal behavior and how use of EE for individuals spending a short amount of time in captivity (e.g., within a rescue center) could ensure diversity of behavior patterns and promote the performance of adaptive behaviors upon release to the wild.

Fight and rescue or give up and flee? Behavioural responses of different ant species tending the mutualist walnut aphid Panaphis juglandis to native and exotic lady beetles.

Mutualism between ants and honeydew-producing hemipterans is a highly successful evolutionary innovation that attains the status of ecological keystone across many terrestrial ecosystems, involving a multitude of actors through direct or cascading effects. In these relationships, ants often protect their hemipteran partners against their arthropod natural enemies, sometimes interfering with the biological control of pest species. However, the dynamics of these interactions are highly variable based on the specific identity of all the actors involved, and baseline data remain scarce. We performed a field experiment exposing colonies of the walnut aphid Panaphis juglandis attended by five European ant species (Camponotus piceus, Ca. vagus, Crematogaster scutellaris, Dolichoderus quadripunctatus, Lasius emarginatus) to a native and an exotic lady beetle (Adalia bipunctata and Harmonia axyridis), documenting the behavioural interactions between these insects and the performance of ants in the protection of the aphids. Our results reveal a significant behavioural diversity among the ant species involved, with D. quadripunctatus and L. emarginatus being the most aggressive and having the best performance as aphid defenders, and Ca. piceus being least effective and often fleeing away. Cr. scutellaris displayed a rare rescue behaviour attempting to pull away the aphids that the lady beetles grabbed. On the other hand, behavioural responses to A. bipunctata and H. axyridis were similar. Further investigations are needed to understand the eco-ethological implications of these differences, while a better understanding of ant behavioural diversity may help refine biological control strategies.

Intraspecific genetic lineages of a marine mussel show behavioural divergence when exposed to microplastic leachates

Worldwide, microplastic pollution has numerous negative implications for marine biota, exacerbating the effects of other forms of global anthropogenic disturbance. Mounting evidence shows that microplastics (MPs) not only cause physical damage through their ingestion, but also act as vectors for hazardous compounds by leaching absorbed and adsorbed chemicals. Research on the effects of plastic pollution has, however, largely assumed that species respond uniformly, while ignoring intraspecific diversity (i.e., variation within a single species). We investigated the effects of plastic leachates derived from factory-fresh (virgin) and beached microplastics on the behavioural responses of two genetic lineages of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Through laboratory behavioural experiments, we found that during exposure to leachates from beached microplastics (beached MPLs), Atlantic specimens moved significantly less than Mediterranean individuals in terms of both (i) proportion of individuals responding through movement and (ii) net and gross distances crawled. In contrast, no significant intraspecific differences were observed in the behaviour of either adults or recruits when exposed to MPLs from virgin microplastics (virgin MPLs). Additionally, the reception of cues from three amino acids (L-cysteine, proline and L-leucine) at increasing concentrations (10−5 M to 10−3 M in charcoal-filtered seawater) was tested by electrophysiological analysis using mussels exposed to beached MPLs or control seawater. We found significant intraspecific differences in response to 10−3 M L-cysteine (regardless of treatment) and 10−4 M L-cysteine (in mussels exposed to beached MPLs) and to 10−3 M proline (in mussels exposed to beached MPLs) and 10−5 M L-leucine. Our study suggests that intraspecific variation in a marine mussel may prompt different responses to plastic pollution, potentially triggered by local adaptation and physiological variability between lineages. Our work highlights the importance of assessing the effects of intraspecific variation, especially in environmental sentinel species as this level of diversity could modulate responses to plastic pollution.

Correction to Amir et al. (2023).

Reports an error in "Computational signatures of inequity aversion in children across seven societies" by Dorsa Amir, David Melnikoff, Felix Warneken, Peter R. Blake, John Corbit, Tara C. Callaghan, Oumar Barry, Aleah Bowie, Lauren Kleutsch, Karen L. Kramer, Elizabeth Ross, Hurnan Vongsachang, Richard Wrangham and Katherine McAuliffe (Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Advanced Online Publication, May 08, 2023, np). In the original article, there were affiliation errors for the first and 14th authors. The affiliations for Dorsa Amir are Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley; and Department of Psychology, Boston College. The affiliation for Katherine McAuliffe is Department of Psychology, Boston College. All versions of this article have been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2023-69306-001). Inequity aversion is an important factor in fairness behavior. Previous work suggests that children show more cross-cultural variation in their willingness to reject allocations that would give them more rewards than their partner-advantageous inequity-as opposed to allocations that would give them less than their partner-disadvantageous inequity. However, as past work has relied solely on children's decisions to accept or reject these offers, the algorithms underlying this pattern of variation remain unclear. Here, we explore the computational signatures of inequity aversion by applying a computational model of decision-making to data from children (N = 807) who played the Inequity Game across seven societies. Specifically, we used drift-diffusion models to formally distinguish evaluative processing (i.e., the computation of the subjective value of accepting or rejecting inequity) from alternative factors such as decision speed and response strategies. Our results suggest that variation in the development of inequity aversion across societies is best accounted for by variation in the drift rate-the direction and strength of the evaluative preference. Our findings underscore the utility of looking beyond decision data to better understand behavioral diversity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Self-organization in Piano Playing: Why Pattern Transition?

Over billions of years, natural lives and organs have evolved with essential self-organized life-sustaining activities such as locomotion and respiration. Biological studies have shown that the Central Pattern Generator (CPG) is the essential mechanism for such pattern transitions. Embodied intelligence is a paradigm for investigating how humans employ the decentralized controller and embodiment of the body to interact with their environment (piano). Previously piano playing robots were hard-coded to implement mechanical contact and musical generation, resulting in clumsy non-anthropomorphic keystrokes. Instead, we revisit the piano challenge by studying the biomechanical physics of the body, the self-organization of reflexive behavior, and the neuro-muscular synergy in terms of coordinated behavioral diversity and energy minimization.

Computational signatures of inequity aversion in children across seven societies.

Inequity aversion is an important factor in fairness behavior. Previous work suggests that children show more cross-cultural variation in their willingness to reject allocations that would give them more rewards than their partner-advantageous inequity-as opposed to allocations that would give them less than their partner-disadvantageous inequity. However, as past work has relied solely on children's decisions to accept or reject these offers, the algorithms underlying this pattern of variation remain unclear. Here, we explore the computational signatures of inequity aversion by applying a computational model of decision-making to data from children (N = 807) who played the Inequity Game across seven societies. Specifically, we used drift-diffusion models to formally distinguish evaluative processing (i.e., the computation of the subjective value of accepting or rejecting inequity) from alternative factors such as decision speed and response strategies. Our results suggest that variation in the development of inequity aversion across societies is best accounted for by variation in the drift rate-the direction and strength of the evaluative preference. Our findings underscore the utility of looking beyond decision data to better understand behavioral diversity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

An ancient whole-genome duplication in barnacles contributes to their diversification and intertidal sessile life adaptation

IntroductionWhole-genome duplication (WGD) is one of the most sudden and dramatic events rarely reported in invertebrates, but its occurrence can lead to physiological, morphological, and behavioral diversification. WGD has also never been reported in barnacles, which is one of the most unique groups of crustaceans with extremely speciallized morphology (calcareous shells) and habits (intertidal sessile lifestyle). ObjectivesTo investigate whether WGD has occurred in barnacles and examine its potential role in driving the adaptive evolution and diversification of barnacles. MethodsBased on a newly sequenced and assembled chromosome-level barnacle genome, a novel WGD event has been identified in barnacles through a comprehensive analysis of interchromosomal synteny, the Hox gene cluster, and synonymous substitution distribution. ResultsWe provide ample evidences for WGD in the barnacle genomes. Comparative genomic analysis indicates that this WGD event predates the divergence of Thoracicalcarea, occurring more than 247 million years ago. The retained ohnologs from the WGD are primarily enriched in various pathways related to environmental information processing, shedding light on the adaptive evolution and diversification of intertidal sessile lifestyle. In addition, transcriptomic analyses show that most of these ohnologs were differentially expressed following the ebb of tide. And the cytochrome P450 ohnologs with differential expression patterns are subject to subfunctionalization and/or neofunctionalization for intertidal adaptation. Besides WGD, parallel evolution underlying intertidal adaptation has also occurred in barnacles. ConclusionThis study revealed an ancient WGD event in the barnacle genomes, which is potentially associated with the origin and diversification of thoracican barnacles, and may have contributed to the adaptive evolution of their intertidal sessile lifestyle.

Reward tampering and evolutionary computation: a study of concrete AI-safety problems using evolutionary algorithms

Reward tampering is a problem that will impact the trustworthiness of the powerful AI systems of the future. Reward Tampering describes the problem where AI agents bypass their intended objective, enabling unintended and potentially harmful behaviours. This paper investigates whether the creative potential of evolutionary algorithms could help ensure trustworthy solutions when facing this problem. The reason why evolutionary algorithms may help combat reward tampering is that they are able to find a diverse collection of different solutions to a problem within a single run, aiding the search for desirable solutions. Four different evolutionary algorithms were deployed in tasks illustrating the problem of reward tampering. The algorithms were designed with varying degrees of human expertise, measuring how human guidance influences the ability to discover trustworthy solutions. The results indicate that the algorithms’ ability to find and preserve trustworthy solutions is very dependent on preserving diversity during the search. Algorithms searching for behavioural diversity showed to be the most effective against reward tampering. Human expertise also showed to improve the certainty and quality of safe solutions, but even with only a minimal degree of human expertise, domain-independent diversity management was found to discover safe solutions.

Behavioral diversity and biomechanical determinants of the outcome of a fish predator–prey interaction

AbstractPredator–prey interactions are ubiquitous and under strong selection because of the consequences experienced by both predator and prey if they lose the interaction. Biomechanics and behavior play important roles in the outcome of these interactions, but many studies focus on the prey, restrict the range of behaviors considered, and the role of prey boldness in the outcome is not understood. We used high‐speed video to test for effects of multiple measures of performance and kinematics of both the predator and prey, and boldness of prey on the outcome of interactions between Pike Cichlids (Crenicichla sp.) and Guppies (Poecilia reticulata). We found high variation in the behaviors employed during the predator–prey interactions, including in suction versus raptorial feeding, strike accuracy, and guppy responsiveness. We also found that predators moving relatively slower and prey moving relatively faster were more successful at consuming the prey and evading the predator, respectively. Prey that reacted farther from the predator was more likely to escape predation, but boldness of the prey did not affect the interaction. Our work suggests that a high level of variation in predator–prey interactions is widespread, even when strike and escape behaviors are stereotyped. We also showed that what both the predator and the prey do during an interaction are important in determining the outcome.