Neural Bases of Collective Social Behavior and Group Interactions across Species

Abstract

Collective group behavior is a key form of social interaction observed across animal species, including humans. These collective behaviors, such as flocking and herding, emerge from individual actions within complex group dynamics and can often lead to group phenomena such as social norms and trends. By investigating different species—insects, fish, birds, and mammals—ongoing efforts have revealed both shared and species-specific neural processes involved in collective social dynamics. Newly evolving technologies, such as motion tracking and behavioral sequencing, have enabled the detailed measurement of group behaviors, helping to elucidate the neural mechanisms behind cooperation, coordination, and competition. Advancements in wireless neuronal recordings and neuromodulation have also provided new insights into brain circuits involved in group behaviors and how manipulation of agents such as dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin shapes social dynamics. Moreover, emerging evidence has suggested that certain neurons may be selectively tuned to specific features of collective behavior, such as group movement, identity, or social rank, pointing to the existence of neural coding strategies necessary for representing group dynamics. Based on this growing knowledge, we hypothesize that distributed neural circuits spanning regions like the prefrontal cortex, medial temporal lobe, and sensory areas interact to support collective social cognition. We also discuss how interdisciplinary approaches that integrate neuroscience, psychology, sociology, neurolinguistics, electrical engineering, and computer science can improve our understanding of group dynamics and propose future directions for studying collective social behavior.