Self-organization is a hallmark of biological systems. It is characterized by the spontaneous appearance of collective order that arises merely from local interaction among individuals—no leader is needed. In this talk, I will focus on two particular species where synchronous signaling emerges in the context of mating: Pteroptyx malaccae fireflies, which synchronize their flashes, and Austruca perplexa fiddler crabs, which synchronize the waving of their major claws. In these two systems, the individuals remain predominantly immobile while synchronizing, making their behavior both trackable and tractable. This allows us to pose mathematical models and test them against observations, yielding insight into the mechanisms by which biological synchrony can occur and important clues about its adaptive value.
Daniel Abrams, Professor, Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University
Host: Istvan Kovacs
Joan West
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