Spatial memory and animal movement

TLDR

Memory is essential for understanding animal movement, yet studying it has been difficult; recent advances in tracking, modeling, and cognitive science have enabled research but also underscored the need to synthesize how memory and movement interact. The authors aim to integrate multidisciplinary research to elucidate how animal memory influences movement. They frame the issue by outlining memory’s characteristics, costs, and benefits, review behavioral ecology and cognition theories, summarize recent movement data and statistical tools, discuss diverse modeling approaches, and identify key research challenges. They conclude with a roadmap highlighting research axes that can accelerate progress in linking memory and movement.

Abstract

Abstract Memory is critical to understanding animal movement but has proven challenging to study. Advances in animal tracking technology, theoretical movement models and cognitive sciences have facilitated research in each of these fields, but also created a need for synthetic examination of the linkages between memory and animal movement. Here, we draw together research from several disciplines to understand the relationship between animal memory and movement processes. First, we frame the problem in terms of the characteristics, costs and benefits of memory as outlined in psychology and neuroscience. Next, we provide an overview of the theories and conceptual frameworks that have emerged from behavioural ecology and animal cognition. Third, we turn to movement ecology and summarise recent, rapid developments in the types and quantities of available movement data, and in the statistical measures applicable to such data. Fourth, we discuss the advantages and interrelationships of diverse modelling approaches that have been used to explore the memory–movement interface. Finally, we outline key research challenges for the memory and movement communities, focusing on data needs and mathematical and computational challenges. We conclude with a roadmap for future work in this area, outlining axes along which focused research should yield rapid progress.