The Evolution of Animal Communication

The Evolution of Animal Communication PDF Author: William A. Searcy
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400835720
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 285

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Book Description
Gull chicks beg for food from their parents. Peacocks spread their tails to attract potential mates. Meerkats alert family members of the approach of predators. But are these--and other animals--sometimes dishonest? That's what William Searcy and Stephen Nowicki ask in The Evolution of Animal Communication. They take on the fascinating yet perplexing question of the dependability of animal signaling systems. The book probes such phenomena as the begging of nesting birds, alarm calls in squirrels and primates, carotenoid coloration in fish and birds, the calls of frogs and toads, and weapon displays in crustaceans. Do these signals convey accurate information about the signaler, its future behavior, or its environment? Or do they mislead receivers in a way that benefits the signaler? For example, is the begging chick really hungry as its cries indicate or is it lobbying to get more food than its brothers and sisters? Searcy and Nowicki take on these and other questions by developing clear definitions of key issues, by reviewing the most relevant empirical data and game theory models available, and by asking how well theory matches data. They find that animal communication is largely reliable--but that this basic reliability also allows the clever deceiver to flourish. Well researched and clearly written, their book provides new insight into animal communication, behavior, and evolution.

The Evolution of Animal Communication

The Evolution of Animal Communication PDF Author: William A. Searcy
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400835720
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 285

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Book Description
Gull chicks beg for food from their parents. Peacocks spread their tails to attract potential mates. Meerkats alert family members of the approach of predators. But are these--and other animals--sometimes dishonest? That's what William Searcy and Stephen Nowicki ask in The Evolution of Animal Communication. They take on the fascinating yet perplexing question of the dependability of animal signaling systems. The book probes such phenomena as the begging of nesting birds, alarm calls in squirrels and primates, carotenoid coloration in fish and birds, the calls of frogs and toads, and weapon displays in crustaceans. Do these signals convey accurate information about the signaler, its future behavior, or its environment? Or do they mislead receivers in a way that benefits the signaler? For example, is the begging chick really hungry as its cries indicate or is it lobbying to get more food than its brothers and sisters? Searcy and Nowicki take on these and other questions by developing clear definitions of key issues, by reviewing the most relevant empirical data and game theory models available, and by asking how well theory matches data. They find that animal communication is largely reliable--but that this basic reliability also allows the clever deceiver to flourish. Well researched and clearly written, their book provides new insight into animal communication, behavior, and evolution.

The Design of Animal Communication

The Design of Animal Communication PDF Author: Marc D. Hauser
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 9780262582230
Category : Animal communication
Languages : en
Pages : 726

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Book Description
Based on the approach laid out in the 1950s by Nobel laureate Nikolaas Tinbergen, this book looks at animal communication from the four perspectives of mechanisms, ontogeny, function, and phylogeny.

Psychological Mechanisms in Animal Communication

Psychological Mechanisms in Animal Communication PDF Author: Mark A. Bee
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 331948690X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description
This book analyzes the psychological mechanisms critical to animal communication. The topics covered range from single neurons to broad-scale phylogenetic patterns, shedding new light on the sensory, perceptual, and cognitive processes that underlie the communicative behaviors of signalers and receivers alike. In so doing, the contributing authors collectively integrate research questions and methods from behavioral ecology, cognitive ethology, comparative psychology, evolutionary biology, sensory ecology, and neuroscience. No less broad is the volume’s taxonomic coverage, which spans bees to blackbirds to baboons. The ultimate goal of the book is to stimulate additional research into the diversity and evolution of the psychological mechanisms that make animal communication possible.

Animal Communication and Noise

Animal Communication and Noise PDF Author: Henrik Brumm
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 364241494X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 453

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Book Description
The study of animal communication has led to significant progress in our general understanding of motor and sensory systems, evolution, and speciation. However, one often neglected aspect is that signal exchange in every modality is constrained by noise, be it in the transmission channel or in the nervous system. This book analyses whether and how animals can cope with such constraints, and explores the implications that noise has for our understanding of animal communication. It is written by leading biologists working on different taxa including insects, fish, amphibians, lizards, birds, and mammals. In addition to this broad taxonomic approach, the chapters also cover a wide array of research disciplines: from the mechanisms of signal production and perception, to the behavioural ecology of signalling, the evolution of animal communication, and conservation issues. This volume promotes the integration of the knowledge gained by the diverse approaches to the study of animal communication and, at the same time, highlights particularly interesting fields of current and future research.

Animal Communication Theory

Animal Communication Theory PDF Author: Ulrich Stegmann
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107013100
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 471

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Book Description
A valuable overview and analysis of foundational concepts in animal behaviour studies, including information, meaning, communication, signals and cues. Its comprehensive introduction and numerous illustrations will make it accessible to students and researchers from a wide variety of academic backgrounds, ranging from ethology and evolutionary biology to philosophy of mind.

Animal Signals

Animal Signals PDF Author: Yngve Espmark
Publisher: Tapir Academic Press
ISBN: 9788251915458
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 504

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Book Description
How can we explain the peacock's beautiful tail decorations, or the wonderful song of the nightingale? Why are some smells nice and others nasty? How do animals signal their intentions and qualities to potential partners? How do offspring tell parents about their needs? Are signals tuned to the environment, and to the mental abilities of receivers? Essential for understanding how animals cope with their ecological and social environment, the study of animal signals is one of the most active research areas in evolutionary biology. Understanding the signalling systems of nature has wide-ranging relevance including biological conservation and human communication. Written by international scientists, this is a comprehensive overview of the fascinating diversity of animal signals and signalling functions. Combining reviews and research, the book is aimed at both students and professional scientists.

Animal Communication by Pheromones

Animal Communication by Pheromones PDF Author: H. H. Shorey
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 1483220230
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
Animal Communication by Pheromones describes how the behavior of animals is controlled and influenced by pheromone communication. This book describes the mechanism through which the social animals interact with each other and by which they are organized according to their relative statuses and functions. The text then describes the pheromonal communication system; the mechanisms of movement and orientation to pheromone sources; and recognition, aggregation, and dispersion pheromone behaviors. The sex pheromone behavior; the environmental and physiological control of sex pheromone behavior; and the aspects of pheromones as stimulators or inhibitors of aggression are considered. The book further tackles sex pheromones; reproductive isolation; and the evolution of pheromonal communication. Entomologists and animal scientists will find the book useful.

The Evolution of Communication

The Evolution of Communication PDF Author: Marc D. Hauser
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 9780262581554
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 792

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Book Description
This text addresses the problem of how communication systems, including language, have been designed over the course of evolution. It integrates conceptual issues and empirical results from neurobiology, cognitive and developmental psychology, linguistics, evolutionary biology, and ethology.

Animal Signals

Animal Signals PDF Author: John Maynard Smith
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780198526858
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Book Description
The reliability of animal signals is a central problem for evolutionary biologists. This text argues that it is maintained in several ways, relevant in different circumstances, and that biologists must learn to distinguish between them.

The Evolution of Culture in Animals

The Evolution of Culture in Animals PDF Author: John Tyler Bonner
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691186987
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
Animals do have culture, maintains this delightfully illustrated and provocative book, which cites a number of fascinating instances of animal communication and learning. John Bonner traces the origins of culture back to the early biological evolution of animals and provides examples of five categories of behavior leading to nonhuman culture: physical dexterity, relations with other species, auditory communication within a species, geographic locations, and inventions or innovations. Defining culture as the transmission of information by behavioral rather than genetical means, he demonstrates the continuum between the traits we find in animals and those we often consider uniquely human.