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Table 2 Definitions for network measures of centrality

From: The social system of the lava lizard, Microlophus atacamensis: the interplay between social structure and social organization

Centrality Measures

Definition

Assortativity

A comparison of an animal’s characteristic of interest (i.e., sex, SVL, etc.) with the average of the same characteristic for that animal’s associates. Values range from − 1 to 1. Negative values indicate that animals tend to associate with individuals possessing dissimilar characteristics, whereas positive values indicate a tendency to associate with similar individuals. Values near zero indicate random mixing or no tendency to associate with individuals based on similarity in specific characteristics.

Betweenness

The number of shortest social paths between all possible pairs of animals that pass through a focal animal.

Degree

The number of animals that interacted with a specific individual.

Strength

The total number of interactions for each individual.

  1. We used each included measure to assess an individual’s centrality to the social network