Laboratory systems
Studying small-bodied animals using highly controlled experiments (e.g. fish schools) allow us to tightly measure and manipulate social and ecological context. Our experiments use direct behavioural observations and video-based image tracking to provide repeated observations (mins, hours) of individual and collective behaviour.

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Controlled field systems
Studying semi-natural systems (e.g. sheep flocks, pony herds) we can integrate direct observation with tracking collars and drone-based imaging, to investigate behavioural responses to social or environmental changes (days, weeks). 

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Wild systems
In the wild (e.g. baboons) we combine the use tracking collars (GPS and accelerometer collars), and drones with structured behavioural observations to investigate the mechanism and function of animal behaviour over longer time periods (months) in natural settings.

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Artificial systems
Agent-based models and swarm robotic platforms are used to test observed interaction rules, test causality, and translate biological principles of collective behaviour into generalisable and deployable systems.

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Full Tinbergen

Where feasible, we collect non-invasive endocrine data to link hormones with behaviour across contexts and time-scales, strengthening inference about internal state, plasticity, and constraint. All physiology work is led by the Behavioural Ecology and Endocrinology Lab at Swansea. Comparative analyses across species, systems, and contexts allow us to investigate mechanism (how behaviour is generated), development (how it changes across time and context), function (why it is adaptive), and evolution (how collective principles are conserved or diverge across taxa). Phylogenetic comparative analyses are led by the EASE Lab at Swansea.