Communication

Question 1

No receiver signaller conflict results in reliable signals example

Answer 1

Bumblebee waggle dance to signal where profitable flowers are

Question 2

Habitat effects on signals - habitat type, environmental noise, increased levels of predation

Answer 2

Rufous-winged sparrows have slower trills in forest than open country

Environmental noise - some spp of lizard modulate visual display and great tits near roads in the city sing at higher frequencies than those in quieter neighbourhoods

Illegitimate receiver fringe-lipped bat takes advantage of legitimate signaller tungara frogs call - when predation risk is high tungara frog gives whines without chucks (Alcock 2005)

Question 3

Illegitimate signaller example

Answer 3

Females in a species of firefly respond to signals of males from other species at the correct intervals to lure them in before killing them (Alcock 2005)

Question 4

Cheating signal examples

Answer 4

Cuckoos, Waders fake injury through distraction displays and Batesian mimicry in hoverflies.

Also illegitimate signaller and receiver examples

Question 5

Sensory bias signal examples

Answer 5

Female zebra finches prefer males with red than green leg bands

Predators detect symmetry more than asymmetry - conspicuous prey may take advantage of this

Female preference for orange stimuli in guppies taking advantage by males who acquire carotenoids from plants producing orange spots (Alcock 2005)

Question 6

Learning bias signal example

Answer 6

Zebra finches imprint on their parents and use it for mate choice

Question 7

Multimodal signal examples - efficacy backup, efficacy tradeoff, redundant signals, multiple messages, easily learned

Answer 7

Efficacy backup = wolf spiders, seismic(night) and visual(day)

Efficacy tradeoff = tungara frogs, visual (localisation) and acoustic (attraction)

Redundant signals = chicks begging

Multiple messages = satin bower birds plumage (blood parasites) and bower (ectoparasites)

Easily learned = arctiid moths (visual warning signal, olfactory and acoustic for toxicity)

Question 8

Signal benefits signaller and receiver example

Answer 8

Ravens on carcus: Pair occupying territory will not call out to other Ravens, if another Raven encounters the carcus, to avoid being attacked will call out to other Ravens to gang up on the Ravens occupying the territory

Alcock 2005