Lecture 13

Question 1

What birds of prey feed on eggs and nestlings?

Answer 1

Kookaburras, raven and silver gulls.

Question 2

Who would natural selection favor in deceptive alarm calling?

Answer 2

Those who pay close attention to alarm calls. (life/dinner principle)

Question 3

Describe functional deception.

Answer 3

UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS THE SAME SIGNAL WILL CAUSE THE PREDICTABLE RESULT BUT CONFER SOME BENEFIT TO FITNESS FOR THE SIGNALER (ACTIVE FALSIFICATION)

• 4. FITNESS BENEFIT IS A RESULT OF ACCESS TO RESOURCES FOR THE DECEIVER AND
INCREASED COST (OR NO NET GAIN) FOR THE DECEIVED

Question 4

• MALE DOMESTIC CHICKENS ______ ______ USING A DISTINCTIVE VOCALIZATION

Answer 4

food call

Question 5

What does the production of the chicken call depend on?

Answer 5

depends on the composition of the audience.

Question 6

What were the findings in the chicken study?

Answer 6

MALES PRESENTED WITH FOOD WOULD CALL WHEN IN THE PRESENCE OF EITHER A FAMILIAR OR UNFAMILIAR FEMALE, WERE LESS LIKELY TO CALL IN THE PRESENCE OF ANOTHER MALE
MALES WERE MORE LIKELY TO CALL TO AN EMPTY CAGE THAN A CAGE WITH A MALE and APPEAR TO SUPPRESS THEIR RATE OF CALLING IN THE PRESENCE OF MALE COMPETITORS

Question 7

MALES PRODUCE MORE _________ ALARM CALLS WITH A CONSPECIFIC (EITHER A MATE, NON-MATE, OR MALE) THAN WHEN ALONE OR WITH A HETEROSPECIFC
BIRD (BOBWHITE QUAIL)

Answer 7

aerial

Question 8

Males produced alarm calls at highest rates with a ________.

Answer 8

mate

Question 9

Alarm call rates in chickens appears to be affected by ____________

Answer 9

audience

Question 10

Males chickens were able to adjust their calling rate in various conditions. How?

Answer 10

GIVE APPROACH CALLS MORE FREQUENTLY WHEN FEMALES ARE IN THE AREA OR WHEN ALONE (PRESUMABLY TRYING TO ENTICE A POTENTIALLY UNSEEN FEMALE TO APPROACH)
REDUCE OR ELIMINATE CALLING RATES IN THE PRESENCE OF HETEROSPECIFIC AUDIENCES

Question 11

In Jorgenson’s topi antelope study, how were the topi described?

Answer 11

TOPI ARE GREGARIOUS MEDIUM-SIZED
ANTELOPE
 POLYGYNANDROUS
• RUT TYPICALLY LASTS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MONTHS
 ADULT MALES DEFEND MATING TERRITORIES

Question 12

What is tactical deception?

Answer 12

ACTS FROM THE NORMAL REPERTOIRE OF THE AGENT, DEPLOYED SUCH THAT ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL IS LIKELY TO MISINTERPRET WHAT
THE ACTS SIGNIFY, TO THE ADVANTAGE OF THE AGENT

• BROKEN WING DISPLAY WHERE KILLDEER LEAD PREDATORS AWAY BY FEIGNING INJURY

Question 13

Both male and female topi alarm ________ to stalking predators.

Answer 13

snort

Question 14

Topi ________ at the predator with their ears pricked while snorting.

Answer 14

stare

Question 15

What are some reasons why males snort in the absence of danger?

Answer 15

Males may use false alarms to prevent the departure of receptive females from mating territories.

Question 16

What are some reasons for deceptive alarm calls with mate access?

Answer 16

• FALSE ALARM SNORTS WILL BE INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM TRUE ALARMS
• FALSE SNORTS WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH
THE PRESENCE OF RECEPTIVE FEMALES

• MALES WOULD HAVE AN INCREASED OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCCESSFUL PAIRINGS

Question 17

What are some mistakes with the reasoning of deceptive alarm calls in topi?

Answer 17

FALSE ALARM SNORTS WILL BE INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM TRUE ALARMS
• IF ALARM SNORTS PRIMARILY WARN CONSPECIFICS, THEN SNORTING WILL ONLY OCCUR IN THE PRESENCE OF CONSPECIFICS
(REGARDLESS OF SEX OR BREEDING STATUS)

Question 18

In the playback study with topi antelopes, what were the 3 different male vocalizations used?

Answer 18

True alarm snort, false alarm snort, control grunt used as a territory warning

Question 19

________ ______ were only produced in the presence of conspecifics.

Answer 19

false alarms

Question 20

What are some other reasons for deceptive alarm calls in topi antelopes?

Answer 20

Kin selection

Reciprocal altruism is the favor is likely to be returned in the future.

Question 21

Males only emitted false alarms when an ________ _________ was in his territory.

Answer 21

estrus female

Question 22

There was a 3 min. median interval between attempt to leave and false snort. What does this mean?

Answer 22

POSITIVE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DEPARTURE ATTEMPTS AND THE ONSET OF FALSE SNORTS

Question 23

Why did male antelopes stand in front of departing females and false snort?

Answer 23

To alert in the direction that the female was moving, as if to say that there was a predator in front of them.

Question 24

How did females respond to the playbacks of false and true alarms?

Answer 24

WHEN FEMALES HEAR AN ALARM SNORT (TRUE OR FALSE) THEY WILL RESPOND
BY WALKING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM THE ALARM
MALES WOULD GAIN INCREASED MATING OPPORTUNITIES
• IN 10% OF OBSERVED CASES MALES WERE ONLY SUCCESSFUL AFTER SNORTING

Question 25

Individual male topi snorted to the approach of a human. What does this indicate?

Answer 25

Alarm snorts communicate discovery to the predator.

Question 26

False snorts were only emitted in the presence of ________.

Answer 26

females

Question 27

Topi population is the study area is limited by _________ not resource availability.

Answer 27

predation

Question 28

Males stand to gain a greater benefit from what?

Answer 28

from manipulation than females

Question 29

Alarm calls appear to be prone to manipulation. Why?

Answer 29

Because the cost of reacting to a false signal is outweighed by the benefit of reacting to a true signal.