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)

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

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

Dominance Hierarchies

 Rhesus Monkeys – Mother’s Rank – Males leave at puberty (3 ½ years) – rank is decided by new group and the males relationship with dominant females

Dominance Hierarchies Rhesus Monkeys – Dominant males don’t lead group and aren’t even the ones having the most children (even having 1 st access to females) – Dominant males stay out of fights – Testosterone levels

Dominance Hierarchies Infanticide – Lions (Pusey and Packer 1987) – New Males take over pride Kill smaller cubs Drive off older cubs and subadults Accounts for ¼ of cub deaths

Dominance Hierarchies Costs – So busy displaying dominance that lesser males do all the breeding – Doesn’t necessarily translate to having more children – Achieving rank may have reproductive costs Benefits – Less energy spent fighting over resources – Less stress among all individuals – Higher testosterone levels

Evolution of a Sensory System

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 with 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