Data from: Direction matching for sparse movement data sets: determining interaction rules in social groups

AbstractIt is generally assumed that high-resolution movement data are needed to extract meaningful decision-making patterns of animals on the move. Here we propose a modified version of force matching (referred to here as direction matching), whereby sparse movement data (i.e., collected over minutes instead of seconds) can be used to test hypothesized forces acting on a focal animal based on their ability to explain observed movement. We first test the direction matching approach using simulated data from an agent-based model, and then go on to apply it to a sparse movement data set collected on a troop of baboons in the DeHoop Nature Reserve, South Africa. We use the baboon data set to test the hypothesis that an individual’s motion is influenced by the group as a whole or, alternatively, whether it is influenced by the location of specific individuals within the group. Our data provide support for both hypotheses, with stronger support for the latter. The focal animal showed consistent patterns of movement toward particular individuals when distance from these individuals increased beyond 5.6 m. Although the focal animal was also sensitive to the group movement on those occasions when the group as a whole was highly clustered, these conditions of isolation occurred infrequently. We suggest that specific social interactions may thus drive overall group cohesion. The results of the direction matching approach suggest that relatively sparse data, with low technical and economic costs, can be used to test between hypotheses on the factors driving movement decisions. Usage notesXY coordinates of individual baboonsThis dataset consists of 74 days of full-day follows of a baboon troop (Papio hamadryas ursinus) at the DeHoop Nature Reserve in South Africa. Individual GPS points of all adult group members (N=14) were collected continuously throughout the day by an observer walking repeatedly from one end of the group to the other. A GPS point was taken on all adults present in the group by holding the GPS receiver above the animal (or as close as possible) to record its position and individual identitybaboon_group_dehoop.csv