The evolution of animal communication : reliability and deception in signaling systems / William A. Searcy and Stephen Nowicki.

By:

Searcy, William A, 1950- [author.]

Contributor(s):

Nowicki, Stephen, 1955- [author.]

Material type: Text

text

Media type:

computer

Carrier type:

online resource

ISBN:

9781400835720
1400835720
1282505726
9781282505728
9786612505720
6612505729

Subject(s):

Genre/Form:

Additional physical formats: Print version:: Evolution of animal communication.DDC classification:

591.59 22

LOC classification:

QL776 .S35 2005eb

Online resources:

Click here to access online

Contents:

Signaling when interests overlap -- Signaling when interests diverge -- Signaling when interests oppose -- Honesty and deception in communication networks -- Conclusions.

Summary: 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? 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.

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Includes bibliographical references (pages 225-256) and indexes.

Signaling when interests overlap -- Signaling when interests diverge -- Signaling when interests oppose -- Honesty and deception in communication networks -- Conclusions.

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? 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.