Communication

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)

Communication (Wiley 1983)

Sender Valueof

Information

Positive Zero (ornegative)

PositiveTrue

Communication Manipulation

Zero (ornegative) Eavesdropping Ignoring

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

Alarm CallsVocalizations - Vervet Monkeys

Different CallsSnake = ChutterLeopard = BarkingEagle = Cough

How do they Signal?

Discreteear position

Pointed Up – greetingLaid back - threat

GradedMouth

Closed – mildOpen – More intense

Pseudopenis of the Female Spotted Hyena

Pseudopenis of the Female Spotted Hyena

Proximate Causes

• Stephan J. Gould– Pseudopenis due to

proximate cause• High levels of

androgen during development

– Suggests proximate cause outweighs adaptive significance (ultimate cause)

Other Causes

• John Alcock– Suggests proximate

cause may not be as strong a Gould suggests

– Contends Gould is against Sociobiology

– Adaptationist Hypothesis

• (Ultimate Cause)

Pseudopenis of the Female Spotted Hyena

Dominance of the Female Spotted Hyena

• Adaptive Behavior – more androgen / more aggression

• By-product is pseudopenis

Honest Signals

Honest Signal

• How much food do I need?

• Brood Parasites (European Cuckoo)– Increase amount of

food by tricking parents

Illegitimate Receivers

• Tungara Frog– Whine-chuck– Whine only

Illegitimate receivers

• Mobbing CallAttract other mobbers if

hawk is perched

• Seet CallWarning sound if hawk is

in the air• doesn’t travel as far• Range of sound hard

for hawk to hear

Illegitimate Signalers

• Femme fatales

Illegitimate Signalers

• Angler Fish

Solving Problems – Group Foraging

• Food Bonanzas– Yell for others

Solving Problems – Group Foraging

Honeybees– Round Dance– Sickle Dance– Waggle Dance

Solving Problems – Group Foraging

Ants– Recruitment

Pheromones– Stridulating

Solving Problems – How to Secure a Mate

• Bird Song– Cowbird

Solving Problems – How to Secure a Mate

• Bird SongBlackbirds

Solving Problems – Warn Others about

Predators• Meerkats

Solving Problems – Warn Others about Predators

• Deception– Low ranking Males

Solving Problems – Warn Others about Predators

• Deception– Barn Swallows

Talking Animals

• Nim Chimpsky– Talking Chimp

Talking Animals

• Alex– Talking Parrot

Talking Animals

• Koko– Talking Gorilla