Multilayer network analysis: new opportunities and challenges for studying animal social systems

Abstract

Many behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary processes are closely intertwined with patterns of social interactions, such as the evolu- tion of cooperation (Croft et al. 2006), information and disease transmission (VanderWaal et al. 2014; Aplin et al. 2015), predator– prey dynamics (Ioannou et al. 2012), and dispersal decisions (Blumstein et al. 2009). Even in species where individuals are trad- itionally viewed as leading a relatively solitary existence, interac- tions occur across diverse contexts, including territorial defense, resource competition, and courtship. Moreover, among members of a population, there is often substantial variation in terms of whom individuals interact with, how frequently they do so, and the inten- sity of these interactions. Quantifying these patterns and elucidating their functional and ultimate consequences is a central goal of be- havioral ecology (Whitehead