Communication Flashcards
Define communication.
Passing of information from a sender to a receiver.
What is a signal?
A feature of an animal that has evolved specifically to alter the behaviour of receivers.
What is a cue?
Any feature that can be used by an animal as a guide to further action.
What are senses?
Methods by which animals perceive their environment.
What are some modes of communication?
Visual, acoustic, vibrational, chemical, tactile and electrical.
What is communication coding?
Using specific signals to provide specific information eg a specific predator threat.
How have signals evolved?
Most likely from the ritualisation of existing cues.
What are some examples of respiration linked cues?
Calls, growls, gill-cover flapping.
What are some examples of urination/defecation linked cues?
Chemical marking of territory using urine/faeces.
What are some examples of thermoregulation linked cues?
Raising of hairs or feathers.
What are examples of cues revealing behavioural changes?
Intention movements (fight/flight), self-protective behaviour (scalp retraction in primates) or displacement behaviour (displacement preening in wildfowl mating displays.
What is displacement behaviour?
Interrupting one behaviour with another apparently irrelevant one.
How do ritualised signals differ from cues?
Conspicuousness, redundancy, stereotypy and alerting components.
How does ritualisation aid communication?
It increases energetic costs, these costs ensure honesty. This results in increased efficiency in the transfer of information. Also increases the ability of signallers to manipulate receivers and them from resisting their message.
What compromise must be met when using signals?
Signals must maximise transmission but minimise eavesdropping by predators/parasites.
