Communication: Signals and functions Flashcards
(29 cards)
what is communication?
Classically defined as occurring when “…the action of or cue given by one organism [the sender] is perceived by and thus alters the probability pattern of behavior in another organism [the receiver] in a fashion adaptive to either one both of the participants”
What is a manipulative signal?
(give an example)
Things apear as one way but it is another way. Eg. The firefly that mimics the flash signals of other females to a smaller male, when the male investigates, it is vorociously consumed.
What is eavesdropping?
(Give an example)
When the message was recieved by another and acted upon by the reciever that is was not intended for.
Example: Male frogs send out an advertisement call to attract females but bats also recieve this call and respond to it by locating the frog and preying on them.
What is true communication?
(give an example?)
This is it is what is appears to be.
During the mating season, Greater Sage grouse males produce strutting displays that are energetically expensive, and females use this honest information about male quality to choose which individuals to mate with
How many signal modalities are there in communication?
(Name them.)
There are 5 :
1. Visual
2. acoustic
3. Chemical
4. Tactile
5. Electrical
what are 2 types of signal modality; visual?
(give examples)
- Permanent
- Appropriate conditions
Give an example of signal modality, visual, under appropriate conditions.
Male green anole that boobs its head and produces a dewlap which is brightly colored and extended out from its throat. It signials territorical defense.
An example of Permanent advistement in signal modalities visual.
Bright red epaculets on male blacbirds. It is important in defense for territory. Higher encounter with males once the red epaculets are displayed.
An example of an acustic signal modality in air.
Seen in passerine birds in which they signal pure tone that allows them to be hard to find, broad band mate sounds however, make it easier for them to be found.
Bats- echolocation to find prey.
An example of acoustic signal modalities in water.
Whales send a high freuqnecy signal that is reflected back which allows them to locate their preys location.
What are the properties of chemical modality.
(how it travels, why it travels that way, distance, fade?)
- Travel over long distances but slowly due to the process of diffusion from point source to production site.
- The chemical signal slowly fases away.
*
Give an example for chemical signal modality.
This is seen in moths and also elephants.
In months, the females relsea chemical cues in which the males follow to locate the females.
In elephants they have vormeronasal organs that allow them to detect wheather the females are sexually receptive through their urine.
What is the name of the organ Asian elephants used to detect wheather females are sexually receptive from their unrine?
Vomeronasal Organ.
Male silkmoths are more attracted to chemical signals than visual signals of female silkmoths
(True or false?)
True
(Chemical- pheromones).
In what animals are tactile signal modalities important in?
(And why is it important? what for?)
In social animals to maintain and build relationships
Give an example of tactile signal modalities.
Tactile modality is seen in chipanzees as they regularly grrom other individuals to be rewarded with greater levels of coorperation and food sharing.
Females are generally choosy during mate selection because of their greater reproductive investment.
(True or False)
True
When males are looking for mates the cost of engaging in physical combat is very low.
(true or false)
False. Because we should assume it is mating sesssion and so in mating session competition is generally high. So physical combat engagement will also be very high or likely.
Signal modalities: Electric. Give an example.
Foraging sharks practice eavesdroping as they have the ability to detect electrical signals using specialized electroreceptors cells located in their head. This allows them to eavesdrop on weaker electrical gields of prey.
What species of fish send out specific-specific electrical pulses?
Mormyrid fish
Why do the mormyrid fish send on specific- specific electrical pulses?
(2 reasons)
- To locate their prey.
- To find conspecifics who are ready to mate.
Signal function: Sexual advertisement & Mate attraction. Give examples.
- This is seen in bowerbirds as they build a bower decorated with brightly coloredd objects to secure a mate. (this is the use of visual modalities).
- Deep snouted pipefish females produce a stripe pattern during the mating period. This is seen as more attractive to males than females who do not do this.
In signal functions: Conflict resolution. How is the conflict resolved?
(hint:Natural selection)
- Natural selection favors evolution of communication systems that allows them to assess the combat ability of their opponenet so that they do not have to get involved in combat.
Signal function: Relocate & accurately offspring. In what type of animals is this function appropriate?
- Animals are colonial.
- Produce altrical offsprings.
- Leave their offspring in a refugia, nest.
- Leave them to forage and gather resources.
- Upon returning to their nest they need to have the ability to distinguish or identify their own offspring.
