2026-06-10 総合研究大学院大学
図1 (A) コロニーを同時に出発したペンギンの群れの、その後の移動経路の例。背景画像の作成にCopernicus Sentinel data 2024を使用した。(B)各トリップにおける移動経路(色付き丸印)と、前回のトリップで利用したエリア(等高線)との関係。4つの図は、それぞれ異なる情報源の利用がみられたトリップを示す。実線の等高線は各個体の前回のトリップでの利用エリア、点線のトリップはコロニーを同時に出発した他個体の前回のトリップでの利用エリアを示す。
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.soken.ac.jp/news/2026/20260610.html
- https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article/293/2072/20260122/482049/Unsuccessful-foragers-acquire-social-information
採餌に失敗したペンギンは、集団で出発し移動する過程で社会的な情報を得る Unsuccessful foragers acquire social information through group departure and travel in penguins
Toshitaka Imaki ;Nobuo Kokubun;Akinori Takahashi
Proceedings of the Royal Society B Published:10 Jun 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2026.0122
Abstract
Colonial animals are theoretically expected to use social information to reduce uncertainty regarding food location and quality; however, few empirical studies have investigated how they acquire and when they rely on such information. Here, we simultaneously tracked 96–116 breeding Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), corresponding to 35.6–43.0% of active breeders in a colony, across 653 foraging trips, and examined their movement decisions. We found that foraging site selection was most often predicted by individuals’ own previous space use, but in 17.1% of trips, it was better predicted by incorporating the prior space use of conspecifics that departed the colony together. Notably, the simulation with random replacement tests indicated that group departure is a prerequisite for the effects of conspecifics on foraging site selection. Furthermore, penguins with unsuccessful prior trips, quantified as a reduced frequency of foraging dives, changed foraging sites more frequently than those with successful prior trips, relying more on the experiences of conspecifics. These findings suggest that group departure and travel facilitate social information acquisition, particularly for individuals that have recently been unsuccessful in foraging trips. Our study highlights the strategic use of social information and its potential benefits for foraging penguins.
