13. communication

Question 1

Proximate questions

Answer 1

HOW question

• physiology
• development

Question 2

Ultimate questions

Answer 2

WHY questions

• function
• evolution

Question 3

Sensory threshold

Answer 3

this is determined by the stimulus intensity in sensory physiology: A stimulus intensity below the sensory threshold (supra-threshold) cannot elicit any sensation.

Question 4

Absolute threshold

Answer 4

the lowest intensity at which a stimulus can be perceived in the absence of any (background) noise. The stimulus elicits a phase-coupled neural response.

Question 5

Signal-to-noise ratio (originally a physical/electrical engineering concept)

Answer 5

The signal-to-noise ratio compares the intensity of a signal of interest to the intensity of the background noise.
The higher the ratio, the less interfering the background noise is and the more salient is the particular signal.

Question 6

Saliency

Answer 6

How prominent and effective is the communication stimulus with regard to other environmental stimuli? This is not only determined by the absolute threshold of the sensory system but also by the signal-to-noise ratio (e.g. loud ambient noise may mask a specific signal)

Question 7

Recruitment

Answer 7

food calls (yells) for intraspecific attraction

Question 8

Phonotaxis

Answer 8

movement directed by sound (alternatively: chemotaxis, phototaxis, etc.)

• Positive = towards source
• Negative = away from source

Question 9

Agonistic encounters

Answer 9

display of specific signals for dominance assessment