ArticleNature ecology & evolution2025
Density-dependent network structuring within and across wild animal systems.
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Article in Nature ecology & evolution, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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9citing papers in PubMed
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9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Relationship between spatial and social phenotypes in an avian scavenger.The Journal of animal ecology · 2026Article
- Climate-driven host ecology as a framework for zoonotic disease risk: Understanding transferability across arenavirus systems.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026Article
- Beyond density: Environmental and dietary drivers of endoparasite burden in overabundant red deer populations.Parasitology research · 2026Article
- How fast can PPRV spread? Analyzing the results of an experimental PPRV infection of goats equipped with Ultra-Wideband sensors.PloS one · 2026Article
- Partitioning Social and Spatial Drivers of Infection Risk.Ecology and evolution · 2025Article
- Social and spatial drivers of the multitiered structure of zebra finch social networks.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2025Article
- Local and global density have distinct and parasite-dependent effects on infection in wild sheep.Parasitology · 2025Article
- Understanding age and society using natural populations.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2024Article
- Expanding theory, methodology and empirical systems at the spatial-social interface.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
110 authors.
Gregory F AlberySchool of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. gfalbery@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6260-2662
Daniel J BeckerSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4315-8628
Josh A FirthDepartment of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7183-4115
Delphine De MoorDepartment of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2474-6125
Sanjana RavindranInstitute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Matthew SilkInstitute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8318-5383
Amy R SweenyInstitute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Eric Vander WalDepartment of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Quinn WebberUniversity of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0434-9360
Bryony AllenInstitute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Simon A BabayanUniversity of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4949-1117
Sahas BarveDepartment of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5840-8023
Mike BegonInstitute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Richard J BirtlesUniversity of Salford, Salford, UK.
Theadora A BlockDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
Barbara A BlockHopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Janette E BradleyUniversity of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Sarah BudischakPitzer and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, CA, USA.
Christina BueschingOkanagan Department of Biology, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
Sarah J BurtheUK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh, UK.
Aaron B CarlisleUniversity of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
Jennifer E CaselleMarine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
Ciro CattutoISI Foundation, Torino, Italy.
Alexis S ChaineEvolutionary Ecology Group, Station d'Écologie Theorique et Experimentale du CNRS, Moulis, France.
Taylor K ChappleOregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
Barbara J CheneyLighthouse Field Station, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Timothy Clutton-BrockDepartment of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8110-8969
Melissa CollierDepartment of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
David J CurnickInstitute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3093-1282
Richard J DelahayNational Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, York, UK.
Damien R FarineDepartment of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.
Andy FentonInstitute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Francesco FerrettiVirginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9510-3552
Laura FeyrerDepartment of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9300-1947
Helen FieldingThe Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Vivienne ForoughiradDepartment of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
Celine FrereSchool of the Environment, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Michael G GardnerCollege of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Eli GeffenSchool of Zoology, Faculty of Life Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Stephanie S GodfreyDepartment of Zoology, University of Otago, Otago, New Zealand.
Andrea L GrahamDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6580-2755
Phil S HammondSea Mammal Research Unit, South Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.
Maik HenrichDepartment of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany.
Marco HeurichDepartment of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0051-2930
Paul HopwoodCentre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.
Amiyaal IlanyFaculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8089-569X
Joseph A JacksonUniversity of Salford, Salford, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0330-5478
Nicola JacksonSchool of the Environment, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3082-6829
David M P JacobyLancaster University, Lancaster, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2729-3811
Ann-Marie JacobyDivision of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA.
Miloš JežekDepartment of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4127-9947
Lucinda KirkpatrickEvolutionary Ecology Group-EVECO, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerp, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0161-2469
Alisa KlammDepartment of Nature Conservation and Research, Hainich National Park, Bad Langensalza, Germany.
James A Klarevas-IrbyDepartment of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7499-4085
Sarah KnowlesDepartment of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2368-4623
Lee KorenFaculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7425-501X
Ewa KrzyszczykSchool of Environment and Natural Science, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales.
Jillian M KuschDepartment of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0078-5621
Xavier LambinUniversity of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4643-2653
Jeffrey E LaneDepartment of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Herwig LeirsEvolutionary Ecology Group-EVECO, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerp, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7612-5024
Stephan T LeuSchool of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2547-5056
Bruce E LyonDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
David W MacdonaldWildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Anastasia E MadsenSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
Janet MannDepartment of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
Marta ManserDepartment of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8787-5667
Joachim MariënEvolutionary Ecology Group-EVECO, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerp, Belgium.
Apia MassaweInstitute of Pest Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Robbie A McDonaldEnvironment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6922-3195
Kevin MorelleDepartment of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
Johann MourierBiodiversité Marine, Exploitation et Conservation, Université de Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Sète, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9019-1717
Chris NewmanWildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Kenneth NussearUniversity of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3849-8911
Brendah NyaguthiiDepartment of Ornithology, National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.
Mina OginoDepartment of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3780-2942
Laura OzellaDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.
Craig PackerDepartment of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3939-8162
Yannis P PapastamatiouFlorida International University, Florida, FL, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6091-6841
Steve PatersonUniversity of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1307-2981
Eric PayneDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
Amy B PedersenInstitute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Josephine M PembertonInstitute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Noa Pinter-WollmanDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Serge PlanesPSL Research University, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan, France.
Aura RauloDepartment of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Rolando Rodríguez-MuñozCentre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.
Lauren RuddDepartment of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5925-9514
Christopher SabuniInstitute of Pest Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Pratha SahDepartment of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
Robert J SchallertStanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Ben C SheldonDepartment of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5240-7828
Daizaburo ShizukaSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
Andrew SihDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
David L SinnDepartment of Wildlife, California State Polytechnic University, Arcata, CA, USA.
Vincent SluydtsEvolutionary Ecology Group-EVECO, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerp, Belgium.
Orr SpiegelSchool of Zoology, Faculty of Life Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8941-3175
Sandra TelferUniversity of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Courtney A ThomasonVirginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
David M TicklerUniversity of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Tom TregenzaCentre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.
Kimberley VanderWaalDepartment of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5764-6430
Sam WalmsleyDepartment of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Eric L WaltersDepartment of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9414-5758
Klara M WanelikUniversity of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1485-0340
Hal WhiteheadDepartment of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Elodie WielgusDepartment of Visitor Management and National Park Monitoring, Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8323-5128
Jared Wilson-AggarwalCentre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.
Caroline WohlfeilCollege of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Shweta BansalDepartment of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Theory predicts that high population density leads to more strongly connected spatial and social networks, but how local density drives individuals' positions within their networks is unclear. This gap reduces our ability to understand and predict density-dependent processes. Here we show that density drives greater network connectedness at the scale of individuals within wild animal populations. Across 36 datasets of spatial and social behaviour in >58,000 individual animals, spanning 30 species of fish, reptiles, birds, mammals and insects, 80% of systems exhibit strong positive relationships between local density and network centrality. However, >80% of relationships are nonlinear and 75% are shallower at higher values, indicating saturating trends that probably emerge as a result of demographic and behavioural processes that counteract density's effects. These are stronger and less saturating in spatial compared with social networks, as individuals become disproportionately spatially connected rather than socially connected at higher densities. Consequently, ecological processes that depend on spatial connections are probably more density dependent than those involving social interactions. These findings suggest fundamental scaling rules governing animal social dynamics, which could help to predict network structures in novel systems.
Indexed as
Animal DistributionAnimals, WildBehavior, AnimalSocial BehaviorAnimalsPopulation DensitySpatial Analysis
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