Transcript Ppt
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 Dominance Hierarchies Dominance Hierarchies Rhesus Monkeys – Mother’s Rank – Males leave at puberty (3 ½ years) – rank is decided by new group and the males relationship with dominant females Dominance Hierarchies • Rhesus Monkeys – Dominant males don’t lead group and aren’t even the ones having the most children (even having 1st access to females) – Dominant males stay out of fights – Testosterone levels Dominance Hierarchies • Infanticide – Lions (Pusey and Packer 1987) – New Males take over pride • Kill smaller cubs • Drive off older cubs and subadults • Accounts for ¼ of cub deaths Dominance Hierarchies • Costs – So busy displaying dominance that lesser males do all the breeding – Doesn’t necessarily translate to having more children – Achieving rank may have reproductive costs • Benefits – Less energy spent fighting over resources – Less stress among all individuals – Higher testosterone levels Evolution of a Sensory System Evolution of a Sensory System Evolution of a Sensory System 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 with 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