A more specific starting point.

Over the past week I came up with a more specific question to start testing and a way in which it can be tested and the model design to be used. This initial question is potentially just one of multiple questions that will help us understand lateralization of Caspian Tern chicks.

The question is: Does lateralization of Caspian Tern Chicks affect the behavior of their parents?

The hypothesis is: Tern parents adjust the orientation of fish they are feeding to their chicks based on their chicks lateralization.

This will be tested by running a simulation of an indifferent parent with a left-, right-, and non-lateralized chick and also an influenced (by the chick) parent with each type of chick.

The following diagram explains the interdependencies of the model agents based on their actions and the outcomes of those actions.

In the following week I will be working on implementing t his model in a simulation. I have already begun doing this.