ANIMAL COMMUNICATION and INFORMATION TRANSFER

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1 ANIMAL COMMUNICATION and INFORMATION TRANSFER

2 COMMUNICATION some definitions. - Transfer of information from a signaler to a receiver (textbooks) - Actors use specifically designed signals or displays to modify the behavior of reactors (Krebs and Davies 1987) Not necessarily through visible means, e.g., female s ovaries, territoriality - The provision of information that can be utilized by a receiver to make a decision (Bradbury and Vehrencamp 1998)

3 COMMUNICATION some definitions. - Transfer of information from a signaler to a receiver (textbook) - Actors use specifically designed signals or displays to modify the behavior of reactors (Krebs and Davies 1987) Not necessarily through visible means, e.g., female s ovaries, territoriality - The provision of information that can be utilized by a receiver to make a decision (Bradbury and Vehrencamp 1998)

4 COMMUNICATION some definitions. - Transfer of information from a signaler to a receiver (textbook) - Actors use specifically designed signals or displays to modify the behavior of reactors (Krebs and Davies 1987) Not necessarily through visible means, e.g., female s ovaries, territoriality - The provision of information that can be utilized by a receiver to make a decision (Bradbury and Vehrencamp 1998)

5 Transfer of information from a signaler to a receiver an abstract property of events and entities that makes their characteristics predictable to individuals (It) enables individuals to make choices, to select their activities appropriately for their needs and opportunities (Smith 1977:193).

6 Signaler (sender) INFO Receiver ( intended ) (recipient)

7 Non-signals - Hoof beats of prey Signaler (sender) INFO Receiver ( intended ) (recipient) - Rattle of a rattlesnake - Observing another s choice of mate - Seeing a dead animal - Call of a predator

8 SOCIAL EAVESDROPPER Eavesdropper Non-signals INFO Signaler (sender) INFO Receiver ( intended ) (recipient) } DYAD INFO Recipient - Eavesdropper INTERCEPTIVE

9 X /08/ squirrel-snake.html =uh5svjr6ukq

10 HONESTY and Signals Change a receiver s behavior in a way that benefits the signaler (Krebs and Dawkins) HANDICAP PRINCIPLE (Zahavi) signals are honest b/c they are costly Signals are reliable on average, i.e., it pays more, on average, to trust the signal than to ignore it This sets up several situations which may not be reliable: - Mistakes are made - Random variation in the relationship between signal and information - Deception signaler gives a signal for X when X does not exist, but where receiver s response to X benefits the signaler - alarm calls, mimicry (e.g. fireflies)

11 Solitary w/babblers Kleptoparasitism aerial predators 0.92 (0.14) 0.95 (0.15) terrestrial predators 0.06 (0.19) 0.87 (0.15) average mass of items caught (g) 0.28 (0.04) 0.72 (0.39) biomass captured (g) per Hour 1.61 (1.40) 3.49 (5.20) Drongos give false alarms when babblers are present

Signals as Vehicles of Information Auditory/vocal Olfaction (chemical) Electrical Visual Mechanical (touch, vibration) - air (mammals and birds) - (water, air, land) aquatic spp and inverts -

12 Signals as Vehicles of Information Auditory/vocal Olfaction (chemical) Electrical Visual Mechanical (touch, vibration) - air (mammals and birds) - (water, air, land) aquatic spp and inverts - water (fish) Tau P2, a useful metric Fish added to tank: amplitude tau P2 0.1 ms smaller EOD male, strong enhancement duration of 2nd phase time constant = tau P2 male w/ larger EOD, no enhancement 24 h

(mammals and birds) - (water and land) aquatic spp and inverts -

13 Signals as Vehicles of Information Auditory/vocal Olfaction (chemical) Electrical Visual Mechanical (touch, vibration) - air (mammals and birds) - (water and land) aquatic spp and inverts - water (fish) - many - insects

14 Venues of animal communication - Play - Foraging communication in information centers, honeybees, leafcutter ants

) Electric organ discharges (EODs); signal rank in fish, poss.

15 Venues of animal communication - Play - Foraging communication in information centers, honeybees, leafcutter ants - Mating Water striders via water ripples (spp recognition & mate choice?) Electric organ discharges (EODs); signal rank in fish, poss. MC - Aggression Badges of status (long-lived in sparrows, transient in salmon); signal defeat, reconciliation (primates) - Predation Stotting, tail flagging

16 Venues of animal communication - Species recognition:

(Prior to or during attack) Table of Selective Pressures For pred For

17 Localizability Detectability Avian Vocalizations calls: alarm, mobbing, distress Mobbing (pursuit deterrent; drive pred away) Alarm (Prior to or during attack) Table of Selective Pressures For pred For prey For pred For prey / /+ Broad-band raspy sounds High see

18 Convergence among raptor alarm calls Response to similar selective pressures to reduce detectability and localizability

19 Traits to minimize detectability: - Low amplitude e.g., BCCH alarm = 55dB; mobbing = 60-65dB - Outside the auditory sensitivity of predator

20 Alarm calls and Eavesdropping Signaler (sender) INFO Receiver ( intended ) (recipient) INFO Tufted Titmouse Recipient - Eavesdropper INTERCEPTIVE Templeton et al. Hetrick and Sieving

Templeton et al Science 308:1934-1937 Number of D notes per call 4.5 4.0 Saw-whet owl Pygmy owl 3.5 Merlin Cooper s 3.0 Kestrel Peregrine 2.5 Short-eared owl Red-tail hawk Great-horned owl 2.0 1.5 1.

21 Templeton et al Science 308: Number of D notes per call Saw-whet owl Pygmy owl 3.5 Merlin Cooper s 3.0 Kestrel Peregrine 2.5 Short-eared owl Red-tail hawk Great-horned owl Prairie Gyrfalcon Great gray owl Bobwhite quail Rough-legged hawk Predator body weight Chickadee mobbing calls are referential to aspects of predation risk i.e., more D-notes signals smaller predator, greater risk

22 300 ETTI calls in response to predator type CACH response to ETTI calls in response to predator Proportion Prop. of chickadees within 1m of speaker Prop. of chickadees 0 control great horned screech 0.0 control great horned screech seet within 3m of speaker Treatment type Playback treatment

23 Alarm calls and Eavesdropping Signaler (sender) INFO Receiver ( intended ) (recipient) INFO Tufted Titmouse Recipient - Eavesdropper INTERCEPTIVE Templeton et al. Hetrick and Sieving

24 Alarm calls and Eavesdropping Signaler (sender) INFO Receiver ( intended ) (recipient) INFO Tufted Titmouse Recipient - Eavesdropper INTERCEPTIVE

25 Harvest rate QHR = Predation cost P + MOC + C Missed opportunity cost Metabolic cost

26 Results Giving-up density (mean rank) 198 DIRECT INFORMATION b INDIRECT INFORMATION 170 Hawk call ab 142 a a a 114 Happy Titmice Treatment

PSY 2364 Animal Communication

PSY 2364 Animal Communication Jumping Spider (Phidippus putnami) http://www.utdallas.edu/~assmann/polc/polc_092014.html Peacock Spider (Maratus speciosus) Peacock Spider (Maratus mungaich) https://www.youtube.com/user/peacockspiderman/videos