What is communication

1
What is communication?

• Classical definitions
• an action on the part of one organism (or cell)
  that alters the probability pattern of behavior
  in another organism (or cell) in a fashion
  adaptive to either one or both of the
  participants Wilson, 1975
• Any sharing of information Smith, 1984
• The transmission of a signal from one animal to
  another such that the sender benefits, on
  average, from the response of the recipient
  Slater, 1983

2
Possible outcomes of communication

• Mutual benefit true communication
• Sender benefits manipulation/deceit
• Receiver benefits eavesdropping
• Neither benefits Highly unlikely

3

• Communication isnt cheap
• Is the ability to pay the COST part of the
  MESSAGE?

4
Levels of Communication

• Vegetative
• Tonic
• Phasic
• Signal Level (biosocial psychosocial
  influences)
• Symbolic (develops through social experience)
• Language (abstract)

5
Signals

• The receiver must be able to discriminate a
  signal from other background stimuli (signal to
  noise ration)
• Between species prevention of hybridization
• Within species important to minimize confusion
  between conspecifics
• Individual differences individuals can be
  accurately identified

6
Modalities for signal production and reception

• Mechanosensors (ex. hearing, touch)
• Photoreception (ex. UV vision in insects)

7
Modalities for signal production
and reception

• Chemoreception (ex. pheromones in moths)

8
Modalities for signal production and reception

• Electroreception (ex. many species of fish)

9
Signal Function

• Mate attraction
• Honest (ex. white crowned sparrow dialects)
• Dishonest (ex. blue gill sunfish) female on
  bottom, mating male above female mimic
  sneaky male above

10
Signal Function

• Parent-offspring interactions
• Begging
• Kin recognition (ex. mexican free tailed bats)
• Social integration
• Autocommunication (ex. echolocation)
• Signals about the environment (ex. Alarm calls in
  Beldings ground squirrels)
• Conflict resolution

11
The evolution of communication

• RITUALIZATION
• Signal behavior is established or improved in
  such a way that it becomes a more efficient means
  of communication
• Via bricolage the source can be virtually any
  trait including (especially?) autonomic reflexes

12
Ways to elaborate displays

• Development of conspicuous structures
• Rhythmic repetition
• Intensity
• Exaggeration of certain component
• Omission
• Freezing
• Change in sequence
• Change in speed of performance
• Change in vigor

13
Key aspects of Ritualization

• Intention movements
• Displacement activities
• Redirection activities
• Secondary modifications (e.g. intention movement
  to threat to courtship)
• Development of conspicuous structures and further
  correlation of the movement with the structures
• Schematization of the movement
• Exaggeration of certain components
• Changes in absolute and relative thresholds of
  components
• Changes in the coordination of the components
• Emancipation- pattern comes to be governed by
  causal factors other than those which governed it
  originally.

14
An interesting system Mexican free-tailed bats

• Mexican free tailed bats roost in caves in Texas,
  where maternity colony size sometimes reaches 20
  million
• When a mother goes to forage she leaves her pup
  in a creche which may contain up to 4000 pups per
  square meter.

15
(No Transcript)
16
Whats the problem?

• When a mother returns to the roost she must be
  able to identify her own offspring
• A pup will feed from any female
• For many years it was believed mothers do not
  discriminate between pups

17
Whats really going on?

• Females first use spatial cues
• Pups are constantly vocalizing (sending signals
  saying FEED ME!)
• Females then listen for a specific vocalization
  that her pup gives, called an isolation call
• Olfactory signals also play an important role

18
BIRD COMMUNICATION

• Song bird model is the most studied involves
  fixed and flexible components and shows
  inherited, developmental and experiential
  influences
• more

19
The End!