The Evolution of Animal Communication (ebook)

Argumento de The Evolution of Animal Communication (ebook)

Gull chicks beg for food from their parents. Peacocks spread their tails to attract potential mates. Meerkats alert family members of the approach of predators. But are these--and other animals--sometimes dishonest? That's what William Searcy and Stephen Nowicki ask in The Evolution of Animal Communication. They take on the fascinating yet perplexing question of the dependability of animal signaling systems.

The book probes such phenomena as the begging of nesting birds, alarm calls in squirrels and primates, carotenoid coloration in fish and birds, the calls of frogs and toads, and weapon displays in crustaceans. Do these signals convey accurate information about the signaler, its future behavior, or its environment? Or do they mislead receivers in a way that benefits the signaler? For example, is the begging chick really hungry as its cries indicate or is it lobbying to get more food than its brothers and sisters?

Searcy and Nowicki take on these and other questions by developing clear definitions of key issues, by reviewing the most relevant empirical data and game theory models available, and by asking how well theory matches data. They find that animal communication is largely reliable--but that this basic reliability also allows the clever deceiver to flourish. Well researched and clearly written, their book provides new insight into animal communication, behavior, and evolution.

"The Evolution of Animal Communication is a wonderful book. It takes an extremely important hot topic and begins where one should, with a careful analysis of its theoretical underpinnings. More than a review of the work done by others, it is a significant new contribution on its own. . . . one of the best examples of well-written technical science writing that I have encountered in a long time."--Robert Seyfarth, University of Pennsylvania, author of How Monkeys See the World: Inside the Mind of Another Species

"This book is required reading for anyone with an interest in animal communication. The level of detail is just right, the examples are very helpful and the text is well written and well organized. Those interested in sexual selection will gain a more realistic, and perhaps naturalistic, understanding of the communication that underpins much of their field."--Peter McGregor, Cornwall College

"The book is a fascinating evaluation of the present state of reliability and deception in animal signaling systems. It would make a perfect, albeit somewhat controversial, focus for an honors biology or graduate seminar course on animal communication."--H.Jane Brockmann, BioScience0Figures, Boxes, and Table ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 1
Chapter 1: Definitions 2
Some History 6
Categories of Signal Costs 13
Alternative Explanations for Reliability 16
Deception Redux 17
Evolutionary Interests of Signalers and Receivers 20
Chapter 2: Signaling When Interests Overlap 24
Signaling Between Relatives: Theory 24
Begging 36
Alarms 53
Food Calls 68
Individually Directed Skepticism 73
Conclusions 77
Chapter 3: Signaling When Interests Diverge 78
Mating Signals: Theory 78
Carotenoid Pigmentation 86
Songs in Oscine Birds 97
Tail Length in Birds 123
Conclusions 131
Chapter 4: Signaling When Interests Oppose 134
Signaling in Aggressive Contexts: Theory 134
Postural Displays of Aggression in Birds 141
Badges of Status 147
Weapon Displays in Crustaceans 160
Dominant Frequency in Calls of Frogs and Toads 169
Conclusions 178
Chapter 5: Honesty and Deception in Communication Networks 181
Third-Party Receivers 182
"Eavesdropping" versus "Interception" 183
Eavesdropping in Signaling Interactions 185
Third-Party Receivers and Reliability 203
Conclusions 206
Chapter 6: Conclusions 207
Reliability 208
Alternatives to the Handicap Mechanism 214
Deceit 218
The Balance of Reliability and Deceit 223
References 225
Author Index 257
Subject Index 263