Simulation Progress update 3

I have added two new measures for model validation:
percent failure after N drops
percent failure after N drops+misses

I have run the model with and without chick lateralization, and to my delight, the chicks are more successful at feeding with lateralization. I also know that my initial idea of parent active response to chick lateralization (switching fish orientation if the chick drops the fish some number N times) does not have any noticeable effect on chick success.

I will soon be adding new ways for parents to actively respond to chick lateralization based on memory of previous feeding attempts.

Simulation progress update

I skipped a week with the entries to this blog, so I'll try to fill in the blanks.

I implemented lateralization for the chicks and two alternative decision logics for the parent: when the chick drops the fish, the parent will either randomly switch the fish orientation or it will switch only after the chick misses twice. This is still not realistic, but it serves as a starting point. From here I will need to determine a more accurate potential strategy for the parent that switches fish orientation with purpose.

In talking with my advisor in the bio department, it was decided that as well as trying to answer whether parents switch fish orientation in response to chick behavior, it would be nice to determine what factors involved in feeding have the largest effect on feeding success. This can be done by sweeping through ranges of possible values for the variables in my model to determine what effects different values have.

First (almost) meaningful simulation

I have now written and run the first draft of my simulation aimed at answering the question of whether a chick's lateralization affects its parents' behavior. The reason it is only almost meaningful is because I have yet to give it reasonable probability constants or take into account lateralization of chick behavior or orientation of the fish in the adult's beak. These things will be relatively easy to implement, though, and that is my goal over the following week (along with more measures on the simulation for determining whether the hypothers is true or false).