Synchronized, collective movement isn't exclusive to animals—it's also seen in the social bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. This bacterium employs two movement mechanisms, adventurous and social, when foraging and predating on others. Adventurous movement is an individual gliding motion, while social movement is the collective movement seen in other organisms. To learn more about how and when these bacteria use each mechanism, researchers used a technique called multiscale semantic cell tracking. They found that ‘foragers,’ small groups that scout ahead, and ‘swarms,’ larger groups that hunt, contain a mix of cells exhibiting each movement type. They also found that individual cells switch between these groups. Adventurous movement was crucial for directional motion, for both foragers and swarms, and the synergy of both movement types improves their predation efficiency. Challenging previous beliefs, the study suggests both types of motion aren't exclusive to one group and that they instead work in unison in M. xanthus communities for better adaptation.