Randomness, chaos and confusion in the study of antipredator vigilance

The study of antipredator vigilance underwent a rapid and relatively recent synthesis 15-20 years ago. During the rise of behavioral ecology and sociobiology, researchers began to measure how often animals looked up from feeding. Subsequently, the field of vigilance crystallized quickly around a few striking results and an elegant theory. The convenient mathematical assumptions of this original theory continue to channel researchers' attentions...