Communication

1. Communication

2. 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)

3. Communication (Wiley 1983)

4. 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

5. Alarm Calls • Vocalizations - Vervet Monkeys • Different Calls • Snake = Chutter • Leopard = Barking • Eagle = Cough

6. How do they Signal? • Discrete • ear position • Pointed Up – greeting • Laid back - threat • Graded • Mouth • Closed – mild • Open – More intense

7. Pseudopenis of the Female Spotted Hyena

8. Pseudopenis of the Female Spotted Hyena

9. Proximate Causes • Stephan J. Gould • Pseudopenis due to proximate cause • High levels of androgen during development • Suggests proximate cause outweighs adaptive significance (ultimate cause)

10. Other Causes • John Alcock • Suggests proximate cause may not be as strong a Gould suggests • Contends Gould is against Sociobiology • Adaptationist Hypothesis • (Ultimate Cause)

11. Pseudopenis of the Female Spotted Hyena

12. Dominance of the Female Spotted Hyena • Adaptive Behavior – more androgen / more aggression • By-product is pseudopenis

13. Dominance Hierarchies

14. 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

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

16. 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

19. 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 Dominance Hierarchies

20. Evolution of a Sensory System

21. Evolution of a Sensory System

22. Evolution of a Sensory System

23. Honest Signals

24. Honest Signal • How much food do I need? • Brood Parasites (European Cuckoo) • Increase amount of food by tricking parents

25. Illegitimate Receivers • Tungara Frog • Whine-chuck • Whine only

26. Illegitimate receivers • Mobbing Call Attract with other mobbersif 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

27. Illegitimate Signalers • Femme fatales

28. Illegitimate Signalers • Angler Fish

29. Solving Problems – Group Foraging • Food Bonanzas • Yell for others

30. Solving Problems – Group Foraging Honeybees • Round Dance • Sickle Dance • Waggle Dance

31. Solving Problems – Group Foraging Ants • Recruitment Pheromones • Stridulating

32. Solving Problems – How to Secure a Mate • Bird Song • Cowbird

33. Solving Problems – How to Secure a Mate • Bird Song Blackbirds

34. Solving Problems – Warn Others about Predators • Meerkats

35. Solving Problems – Warn Others about Predators • Deception • Low ranking Males

36. Solving Problems – Warn Others about Predators • Deception • Barn Swallows

37. Talking Animals • Nim Chimpsky • Talking Chimp

38. Talking Animals • Alex • Talking Parrot

39. Talking Animals • Koko • Talking Gorilla