Exam 3, Modules 8 - 13 Flashcards
Communication signals are believed to have evolved via what three hypotheses/theories?
- preexisting biases
- preexisting traits
- panda principle
__ __ hypothesis states traits that already provide informative cues to receivers, and if the sender benefits from the receiver’s response as a result of these cues, then the cue can be modified into a __ via a process called __.
Preexisting traits
signal
ritualization
__ __ theory explains how biases in sensory systems (that detect some features of the world better than others) can be __ by sender signals in a process called sensory __.
Preexisting bias
exploited
exploitation
The __ __ states that traits, such as the waggle dance, may have evolved from __-__ movements that alerted foragers to food, but did not provide direction or distance. “__ is a tinkerer, not an engineer”.
panda principle
less-sophisticated
Evolution
A female water mite grabs a male like she would prey because he vibrates water the way prey would.
Female guppies seek males that produce orange pigment because they prefer carotinoid-containing foods.
Male noctuid moths that use ultrasonic sounds (like a bat) to attract females.
These are examples of?
Sensory exploitation of preexisting bias
Piloerection is a thermoregulatory response that has been __; in other words, it was a preexisting __ that benefited the sender due to the receiver’s response.
ritualized
trait
Name and briefly describe he three hypotheses that might explain the adaptive value of the spotted hyena’s pseudopenis.
- By-product hypothesis: the pseudopenis isn’t itself adaptive but evolved as a result of another adaptation, such as high testosterone (and the benefits that come with dominance).
- Submission hypothesis: pseudopenis signals subordination or willingness to bond; evidenced by subordinates displaying pp to dominants, first.
- Social Bonding hypothesis: pseudopenis sniffing promotes cooperative coalitions which may raise fitness
~Stiff-legged strut by female spotted hyenas communicate aggression; females might submit rather than costly fight.
~Male impalas snort and shake horns which presents opportunity to size each other up which may avoid fight.
Both are examples of?
Honest signaling.
Honest signals can be enforced via what two ideas?
- production costs – cost associated with an expensive signal.
- Maintenance costs – cost of maintaining a signal due to social enforcement. Usually the signal itself isn’t costly in which case it’s called a badge of status (as in female wasps with black mark).
__ __ is the fine-tuning of signals to work effectively in a particular environment (evolutionary).
Sensory drive
When is sensory drive important for signal evolution?
When the constraints on the signaling environment are extreme.
Why are alarm calls given by different species of birds hunted by hawks are so similar?
Calls at a certain frequency can warn legitimate receivers very nearby, but weakens quickly so that the hawk can’t hear… convergent evolution!!!
__ __ is the process by which complex behavioral patterns evolve gradually from less complex behavioral patterns through long and slow accumulation. Also known as this principle.
Cumulative selection
Panda principle.
Darwin’s theory of descent with modification tells us what about the adaptive traits of extant species?
Adaptive traits are the products of past changes layered on still older changes that occurred during the history of the species.
This is the process whereby novel communication signals can originate when signalers possess a mutant attribute that turns on a sensory preference that had evolved for other purposes.
Sensory exploitation
Female birds dig male birds that were given artificial crests. What explanation might be given for this behavior?
Crest activated a preference due to preexisting bias for trait (LCA had a crest).
The femme fatale firefly is a species of firefly that sends __ signal to a male that is flashing a pattern to attract females (she is __), and eats him when he flies to her; this is an example of __ signaling using a __ __.
deceptive
eavesdropping
deceitful
sensory trap
Name and describe the 2 hypotheses to explain maladaptive behavior of male fireflies with the femme fatale firefly.
- Novel environment hypothesis: the current environment changed too fast (humans), and the males haven’t adapted yet.
- Net benefit hypothesis: the sensory mechanism resulting in fitness losses doesn’t outweigh the average fitness gains provided by the mechanism (avoiding females could lead to greater losses).
Unintended receiver of purposeful communication signals is this.
Illegitimate receiver
The detection of signals from a legitimate signaler by an illegitimate receiver (to the detriment of the signaler and the benefit of the receiver) is known as this.
Eavesdropping
~Storks use dance to reinforce pair-bonds and stimulate ovulation.
~In monogamous siamang primates, duetting is performed to advertise territory.
Both are examples of what type of communication?
reproductive communications
A form of communication where the male and female participate to maintain pair bonds (such as in plan wrens and siamang primates) is called this.
Duetting
Foragers performs waggle-runs by shaking what? The duration and orientation contain info about what? A longer waggle-run means what?
her abdomen
the distance and direction to food
The more distant the food.
What does a forager bee use to convey direction outside the hive? In a dark hive?
Outside the hive: horizontal surface using the sun’s position to orient direction (sundial).
Inside: a vertical surface using gravity