Synchronization: The Key to Effective Communication in Animal Collectives

From the rapidly expanding spiral waves exhibited by colonies of giant honeybees to the ripples of light that cross a turning school of fish, synchrony proves essential to the lives of group-living organisms. Here I consider what we know about the mechanisms and adaptive value of synchronization among animals, as well as outlining open questions that, if answered, could advance our understanding of the functional complexity of animal collectives.