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Memory drives the formation of animal home ranges: Evidence from a reintroduction
Author(s) -
Ranc Nathan,
Cagnacci Francesca,
Moorcroft Paul R.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/ele.13869
Subject(s) - capreolus , home range , roe deer , ecology , memory formation , resource (disambiguation) , movement (music) , biology , cognitive psychology , psychology , neuroscience , computer science , habitat , hippocampus , computer network , philosophy , aesthetics
Most animals live in home ranges, and memory is thought to be an important process in their formation. However, a general memory‐based model for characterising and predicting home range emergence has been lacking. Here, we use a mechanistic movement model to: (1) quantify the role of memory in the movements of a large mammal reintroduced into a novel environment, and (2) predict observed patterns of home range emergence in this experimental setting. We show that an interplay between memory and resource preferences is the primary process influencing the movements of reintroduced roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus ). Our memory‐based model fitted with empirical data successfully predicts the formation of home ranges, as well as emergent properties of movement and spatial revisitation observed in the reintroduced animals. These results provide a mechanistic framework for combining memory‐based movements, resource preferences, and the formation of home ranges in nature.