Research Overview

My research focuses on the phenomenon of ‘collective cognition,’ the ability of groups to achieve higher cognitive abilities than individuals. Although collective cognition has been studied scientifically for over a century, we still know little about the circumstances under which animals achieve it by pooling information in nature. We explore this question using homing pigeons and acorn ants as model organisms. To understand how collective cognition emerges, we develop mathematical models and computer simulations based on rich empirical data collected using cutting-edge GPS devices and high-resolution video cameras.

Research Interests

• Collective animal behavior
• Collective learning
• Animal cognition
• Animal culture