Communication Communication What is Communication An action on

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)

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