Transcript PRESENTATION NAME

Communication
Communication
• What is
Communication?
– An action on the part of
one organism that alters
the probability pattern
of behavior in another
organism in a fashion
adaptive to either one or
both of the participants
(Wilson 1975)
Communication (Wiley 1983)
Sender Value
of
Information
Positive
Zero (or
negative)
Positive
True
Communication Manipulation
Zero (or
negative)
Eavesdropping
Ignoring
Communication (Wiley 1983)
• True Communication – Both Sender and
Receiver benefit
• Manipulation – Sender benefits / Receiver is
unaffected or harmed
• Eavesdropping – Sender is unaffected or
harmed / Receiver benefits
• Ignoring – neither Sender or Receiver is
harmed
Alarm Calls
Vocalizations - Vervet Monkeys
Different Calls
Snake = Chutter
Leopard = Barking
Eagle = Cough
How do they Signal?
Discrete
ear position
Pointed Up – greeting
Laid back - threat
Graded
Mouth
Closed – mild
Open – More intense
Pseudopenis of the
Female Spotted Hyena
Pseudopenis of the
Female Spotted Hyena
Proximate Causes
• Stephan J. Gould
– Pseudopenis due to
proximate cause
• High levels of
androgen during
development
– Suggests proximate
cause outweighs
adaptive significance
(ultimate cause)
Other Causes
• John Alcock
– Suggests proximate
cause may not be as
strong a Gould
suggests
– Contends Gould is
against Sociobiology
– Adaptationist
Hypothesis
• (Ultimate Cause)
Pseudopenis of the
Female Spotted Hyena
Dominance of the
Female Spotted Hyena
• Adaptive
Behavior –
more
androgen /
more
aggression
• By-product is
pseudopenis
Honest Signals
Honest Signal
• How much food do I
need?
• Brood Parasites
(European Cuckoo)
– Increase amount of
food by tricking
parents
Illegitimate Receivers
• Tungara Frog
– Whine-chuck
– Whine only
Illegitimate receivers
• Mobbing Call
Attract other mobbers if
hawk is perched
• Seet Call
Warning sound if hawk is
in the air
• doesn’t travel as far
• Range of sound hard for
hawk to hear
Illegitimate Signalers
• Femme fatales
Illegitimate Signalers
• Angler Fish
Solving Problems – Group Foraging
• Food Bonanzas
– Yell for others
Solving Problems – Group Foraging
Honeybees
– Round Dance
– Sickle Dance
– Waggle Dance
Solving Problems – Group Foraging
Ants
– Recruitment
Pheromones
– Stridulating
Solving Problems – How to Secure
a Mate
• Bird Song
– Cowbird
Solving Problems – How to Secure
a Mate
• Bird Song
Blackbirds
Solving Problems –
Warn Others about
Predators
• Meerkats
Solving Problems – Warn Others
about Predators
• Deception
– Low ranking Males
Solving Problems – Warn Others
about Predators
• Deception
– Barn Swallows
Talking Animals
• Nim Chimpsky
– Talking Chimp
Talking Animals
• Alex
– Talking Parrot
Talking Animals
• Koko
– Talking Gorilla