European bison herds move by majority rule: each bison “votes” by facing the direction it wants to go, and the herd goes in the direction chosen by the largest number.

Bison “Vote” on the Direction They’d Like the Herd to Move

Every few years Americans in major cities elect a mayor. The process is relatively straightforward: we vote, and the candidate who carries the majority wins. The same goes for certain bovines. Ecologist Amandine Ramos of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) spent three months observing a bison herd at the Monts-d’Azur Biological Reserve, about 20 miles from Nice. It turns out that European bison operate by majority rule.

These individuals “cast a vote” for the direction they would like to move by orienting their bodies, Ramos observed. If they want to graze in a meadow, they face the meadow. If they would rather slake their thirst, they turn toward a water hole. Eventually one bison makes a move. If the initiator ad… Continue Reading (2 minute read)