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Animal Communication > Lecture 14 > Flashcards

Lecture 14 Flashcards

1
Q

Some birds have learnt to successfully mimic the alarm calls of multiple species. What is the benefit of this?

A

These alarm calls are given to
convince a potential predator
that a larger predator is near
(a threat to both species)

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2
Q

All organisms can generate visual images passively. How?

A

Light reflects off their bodies.

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3
Q

How can organisms increase their visibility?

A

increasing contrast
between themselves and their background, moving, or generating
one’s own light signal

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4
Q

__________ _______ from the visible range of the spectrum of EM radiation.

A

radiant energy

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5
Q

What are some sources of light?

A

Sun/moon
Burning objects
Biolumenescent

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6
Q

Light travels in ________.

A

waves

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7
Q

Light obeys the inverse square law. What is that?

A

(intensity decreases with distance from a point source as the inverse function of the distance squared)
• Decreases in intensity equal the square of the distance from the source to the perceiver

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8
Q

Light travels best in a _________.

A

vacuum

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9
Q

Define diffraction.

A

– light waves bend
and spread out as they travel
through a narrow aperture

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10
Q

When would diffraction effects be pronounced?

A

when the
propagating wavelength is
similar in size to the
diffracting object

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11
Q

Define refraction?

A 
change in
direction of a wave due to a
change in its speed, most
commonly observed when a
wave passes fro one medium
to another
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12
Q

Define reflection.

A

the change in direction of a wavefront at an interface between two different media so that the wavefront returns into the medium from which it originated.

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13
Q

Define absorption?

A

optical energy is
lost (absorbed) as it travels
through the medium

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14
Q

Define brightness?

A

refers to a signal’s overall intensity
Function of both the range of wavelengths reflected and the surface
structure of the object or signaling organism

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15
Q

_______ surface will produce higher intensity signal

A

Smooth

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16
Q

Brightness of self generated signals depends on the…?

A

amount of energy used to produce the signal.

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17
Q

Define spectral composition?

A 
the
color of a light signal 
Hue (dominant wavelength)
• Chroma (saturation or purity of
dominant frequency)
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18
Q

Reflected and self-generated
light signals may be
characterized by their _______.

A

color

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19
Q

Describe spatial characteristics?

A

Visual acuity of the receiver
impact the details and
localizability of the sender

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20
Q

Define temporal variability?

A

timing changes in intensity, color, and
spatial characteristics
• Used to generate a wide variety of signals

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21
Q

What are some typical components of visual displays?

A

Complex patterns of changes
in size, shape, color, flashing,
and limb movements

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22
Q

__________ between an object
of interest and the object’s
background determines the
conspicuousness of the object

A

contrast

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23
Q

How can contrast be achieved?

A

Contrast can be achieved with
any one or more of these light
signal characteristics

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24
Q

What is camouflage?

A

color or shape of an animal is similar to the background.

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25
Q

What is mimesis?

A

mimics another plant or animal for camouflage.

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26
Q

What is an aposematic signal?

A

warning signals associated with the

unpalatability of a prey animal to potential predators

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27
Q

What is batesian mimicry?

A

one species has evolved to mimic the warning
signals of another species directed at a common predator; mimic
is palatable while model is poisonous or noxious
• E.g., Moarch and Viceroy butterflies
•

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28
Q

What is mullerian mimicry?

A

convergence between two or more species
to warn predators of their unpalatability; both species are
poisonous or noxious
• E.g., cuckoo bee and yellow jacket

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29
Q

What is an example of batesian mimicry?

A

The filefish mimics the coloring of the unpalatable puffer fish

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30
Q

What is an example of mullerian mimicry?

A

Unpalatable caterpillars mimic stinging wasps and coral snakes.

31
Q

Optical communication relies on?

A

Specializations of the sender
• Body structures modified to generate or reflect light for the purpose of communication
• Specializations of the receiver
• Visual system is designed to pick up electromagnetic radiation
• Adaptation to the channel • Properties of the signal are selected to maximize the likelihood of
unambiguous reception

32
Q

For a reflecting surface to appear colored it must selectively…?

A

reflect certain wavelengths of light more than others
• Reflecting all wavelengths equally = white
• Absorbing all wavelengths equally = black

33
Q

Curves with _____ peak over a _______ wavelength range are highly saturated.

A

high, narrow

broader curves are less saturated

34
Q

Area under the curve is a measure of what?

A

brightness

35
Q

_______ animals generally perceive a wider range of colors.

A

Diurnal

36
Q

Color is produced through 3 different mechanisms:

A
  • Pigments
  • Thin-layer interference
  • Scattering
37
Q

What are pigments?

A

chemical compounds whose molecules absorb certain

wavelengths of light and transmit the remaining wavelengths

38
Q

Long-pass filters allow only _______ wavelengths to pass

A

longer

39
Q

How is the color red produced? Yellow?

A

Red is produced by allowing all wavelengths above 600 nm to pass
• Yellow is produced by allowing all wavelengths above 500 nm to pass

40
Q

_______ ______ filters allow only short wavelengths to pass.

A

Short pass

41
Q

_________ only allow wavelengths below 450 nm to pass.

A

Violet

42
Q

What does color combination result in? Give an example.

A

additive color mixing
• Purple is not a spectral color but results form filters that block mid-range wavelengths (green) and allow red (long) and blue (short) wavelengths to pass

43
Q

What are the 3 types of pigments?

A

Carotenoids – produced by plants and acquired by eating plants or by eating
something that has eaten plants
• Typically produce red, orange, yellow
• Porphyrins – modified amino acids all fluoresce under ultraviolet light
• Typically produce pink, browns, reds, and greens
• Melanin – tiny granules of color found in feathers and skin; provide
structural support as well as coloring
• Typically produce darkest black, reddish browns, pale yellow

44
Q

What are conjugated double bonds?

A

Pigments are organic compounds that contain long chains of conjugated double bonds. They are carbon atoms joined by alternating single and double bonds.

45
Q

What is carotene?

A

18-carbon chain that absorbs longer wavelength and transmits green, yellow,
and red to appear yellow or orange
Carotenoids bound to proteins absorb green but
transmit violet and red – appear purple

46
Q

What are Pterins?

A

nitrogenous rings that
produce white, yellow and red
colors often found in butterfly
wings

47
Q

What is a Quinone?

A

Represent a class of organic compounds that are formally “derived from aromatic compounds

48
Q

What is a Verdins?

A

produce blue-green

color often found in bird’s eggs

49
Q

What are porphyrins?

A

verdin molecule with
the ends connected into a ring around
a central metal ion; color is
dependent on the type of metal

50
Q

Most animals place _____ in the center.

A

iron.

Hemoglobin: red (chicken comb)

51
Q

Plants place _________ in the center.

A

magnesium

chlorophyll: green

52
Q

Turacos place _______ in the center

A

copper

53
Q

Describe melanin?

A

dark-colored pigments found in a wide
variety of vertebrates, invertebrates, and
plants
• Large protein molecule that absorbs most
or all visible wavelengths to produce
brown or black

54
Q

Define guanine?

A

forms microcrystalline deposits (platelets) that reflect
all wavelengths
• Dense packing of guanine crystals causes specular reflectance
• Silvery appearance of fish scales

55
Q

What must pigments be coupled with?

A

Reflective structures

56
Q

Where are pigments located.

A

outer epidermal or derman llayers of skin.

57
Q

What are chromatosomes?

A

small granules or packets that contain

pigments; found in chromatophores

58
Q

What are chromatophores?

A

pigment-containing and light-reflecting cells, or groups of cells, found in a wide range of animals including amphibians

59
Q

What happens to light when it travels through pigment?

A

undergoes the first round of absorption/reflection
• Light waves that are reflected back out will undergo a second
round of absorption/reflection through the pigments

60
Q

What are Iridosomes?

A 
contain guanine platelets that reflect all wavelengths
of light (act like a mirror)
61
Q

___________ is responsible for producing iridescent coloring.

A

Interference

62
Q

• White light hits the surface at an angle and is partially _______

A

reflected

63
Q

Some light enters the wax/covering and is _______, then
_______ by the boundary at the bottom wax layer, and _________
again as it exits the layer

A

refracted, reflected, refracted

64
Q

In birds, why do some appear to be very shimmery and color changing?

A 
Primary and secondary
reflections will be in phase
for certain colors and out
of phase for others
resulting in the
appearance of very
shimmery changing colors
65
Q

What are iridescent feathers?

A 
– iridescent
coloring is produced by the
structure of the feathers
(Interference)
• … • Damage to feather structure
results in decrease of iridescence
66
Q

• Small particles with a different________ ______ from the general
medium can cause some wavelengths to scatter

A

refractive index

67
Q

What causes light scattering in animals.?

A

Animal’s surface is coated with transparent material that contains
a matrix of tiny dense particles considerably smaller than 300 nm
in diameter
• Underneath this surface is a layer of melanin

68
Q

Tiny air pockets in the bards of feathers causes what?

A

scattering of incoming light, resulting in a specific non iridescent color.
Blue is always produced in this manner.

69
Q

Placing a thin yellow carotenoid layer above this
arrangement, violet and blue wavelengths are
absorbed and _______ is the only wavelength
scattered

A

green

70
Q

How is white coloring made?

A

produced by scattering particles that
are larger than wavelengths of light
(resulting in multiple wavelengths
being reflected = white)

71
Q

T/F: Pigment, scattering and interference produced coloring cannot be changed quickly

A

True

72
Q

What is the purpose of badges?

A

used to communicate

information and are very noticeable

73
Q

Define badges.

A 
morphological
specializations used as visual
signals
• Bright patches of skin, fur, feathers
• Horns, casques, or crests

Animal Communication (23 decks)

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