PSYC 3280 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Corvidae, Episodic Memory, Optimal Foraging Theory
8 Oct 2018
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Optimal foraging theory: mathematical analysis to assess which types of foods a forager should take, given the constraints of their environment. It is the encounter rate of the most profitable prey, not the least profitable prey, that determines whether the least profitable and most profitable item is taken. Specific nutrient constraints: animals need to spend time foraging for specific nutrients that are essential for survival. If looking for a specific element takes time away from other activities, fulfilling minimum requirements can be very costly. 2: linear programming- a technique used to handle optimality problems in which some optimum must be achieved in the face of a constraint, calculates the % of time necessary for foraging on a specific resource. Increasing foraging group size increases the amount of food each forager receives: due to more foragers to flush out more prey, due to cooperative hunting increasing the success rate and dividing the labour.
