Evolution Of Animal Communication
The Evolution of Communication
Animal communication can be defined as the provision of information that benefits the sender that is ensured by influencing the receiver into a response; this is known as a signal. Signals can be behavioural, physiological or morphological characteristics formed or preserved by natural selection because they allow communication between animals (Otte 1974). However animals also posses the ability to inadvertently produce stimuli, that can be exploited by other animals in a process known as eavesdropping. When an animal provides information in this manner it is known as a cue (Bradbury and Vehrencamp 1998).
Communication when regarded from a functional and evolutionary point of view is a social …show more content…
However this would require group selection that is mathematically not possible in the evolution of sexually reproducing animals (reference). Altruism in animals is not seen being exhibited to unrelated groups, but a reciprocal altruism can be said to be observed when it is beneficial living in a group (reference). This is most evident groups of relatives, as mutual interests tend to be higher with kinship. However socio-biologists argue that any behaviour that is seen to generally benefit a group will only emerge due to selection pressures that act only on the individual (Reference), thus selection takes place in order to ensure what is best for the individual and not the group. If this is indeed true then the reasons to why an animal will partake in cooperative communication. If the behaviour of an animal is predominantly selfish, animals would signal dishonestly in order to receive the highest individual gain. However since individual selection works on both the animals signalling and receiving, animals would only respond to signals which would prove advantageous for them. John Krebs and Richard Dawkins were the first to bring forth the idea that alteruistic or mutualistic communications result from individual selection, bringing forth the realisation that communication can be honest or dishonest (Dawkins, R. & Krebs, J. R. 1978: Animal signals: information or …show more content…
P., L. T. Reaney & P. R. Y. Backwell (2009) Dishonest signalling of fighting ability and multiple performance traits in the fiddler crab Uca mjoebergi. Functional Ecology, 23, 359-366.
Lorenz, K. Z. (1966) Evolution of Ritualization in the Biological and Cultural Spheres. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, 251, 273-284.
Data from: Poison frog colors are honest signals of toxicity, particularly for bird predators. Dryad Data Repository.
Mitchell, R. W. & N. S. Thompson. 1986. Deception, perspectives on human and nonhuman deceit. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Morris, D. (1958) THE COMPARATIVE ETHOLOGY OF GRASSFINCHES (ERYTHRURAE) AND MANNIKINS (AMADINAE). Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 131, 389-439.
Otte, D. (1974) Effects and Functions in the Evolution of Signaling Systems. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 5, 385-417.
Pryke, S. R. & S. Andersson (2002) A Generalized Female Bias for Long Tails in a Short-Tailed Widowbird. Proceedings: Biological Sciences, 269, 2141-2146.
Pryke, S. R., S. Andersson & M. J. Lawes (2001) SEXUAL SELECTION OF MULTIPLE HANDICAPS IN THE RED-COLLARED WIDOWBIRD: FEMALE CHOICE OF TAIL LENGTH BUT NOT CAROTENOID DISPLAY. Evolution, 55,
Animal communication can be defined as the provision of information that benefits the sender that is ensured by influencing the receiver into a response; this is known as a signal. Signals can be behavioural, physiological or morphological characteristics formed or preserved by natural selection because they allow communication between animals (Otte 1974). However animals also posses the ability to inadvertently produce stimuli, that can be exploited by other animals in a process known as eavesdropping. When an animal provides information in this manner it is known as a cue (Bradbury and Vehrencamp 1998).
Communication when regarded from a functional and evolutionary point of view is a social …show more content…
However this would require group selection that is mathematically not possible in the evolution of sexually reproducing animals (reference). Altruism in animals is not seen being exhibited to unrelated groups, but a reciprocal altruism can be said to be observed when it is beneficial living in a group (reference). This is most evident groups of relatives, as mutual interests tend to be higher with kinship. However socio-biologists argue that any behaviour that is seen to generally benefit a group will only emerge due to selection pressures that act only on the individual (Reference), thus selection takes place in order to ensure what is best for the individual and not the group. If this is indeed true then the reasons to why an animal will partake in cooperative communication. If the behaviour of an animal is predominantly selfish, animals would signal dishonestly in order to receive the highest individual gain. However since individual selection works on both the animals signalling and receiving, animals would only respond to signals which would prove advantageous for them. John Krebs and Richard Dawkins were the first to bring forth the idea that alteruistic or mutualistic communications result from individual selection, bringing forth the realisation that communication can be honest or dishonest (Dawkins, R. & Krebs, J. R. 1978: Animal signals: information or …show more content…
P., L. T. Reaney & P. R. Y. Backwell (2009) Dishonest signalling of fighting ability and multiple performance traits in the fiddler crab Uca mjoebergi. Functional Ecology, 23, 359-366.
Lorenz, K. Z. (1966) Evolution of Ritualization in the Biological and Cultural Spheres. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, 251, 273-284.
Data from: Poison frog colors are honest signals of toxicity, particularly for bird predators. Dryad Data Repository.
Mitchell, R. W. & N. S. Thompson. 1986. Deception, perspectives on human and nonhuman deceit. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Morris, D. (1958) THE COMPARATIVE ETHOLOGY OF GRASSFINCHES (ERYTHRURAE) AND MANNIKINS (AMADINAE). Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 131, 389-439.
Otte, D. (1974) Effects and Functions in the Evolution of Signaling Systems. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 5, 385-417.
Pryke, S. R. & S. Andersson (2002) A Generalized Female Bias for Long Tails in a Short-Tailed Widowbird. Proceedings: Biological Sciences, 269, 2141-2146.
Pryke, S. R., S. Andersson & M. J. Lawes (2001) SEXUAL SELECTION OF MULTIPLE HANDICAPS IN THE RED-COLLARED WIDOWBIRD: FEMALE CHOICE OF TAIL LENGTH BUT NOT CAROTENOID DISPLAY. Evolution, 55,