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

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Searcy, William A., 1950-

Contributor:

Nowicki, Stephen, 1955-

Series:

Monographs in behavior and ecology.

Monographs in behavior and ecology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Animal communication.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (285 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Place of Publication:

Princeton : Princeton University Press, c2005.

Language Note:

English

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? 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.

Contents:

Signaling when interests overlap

Signaling when interests diverge

Signaling when interests oppose

Honesty and deception in communication networks

Conclusions.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [225]-256) and indexes.

ISBN:

9786612505720

9780691070940

0691070946

9781282505728

1282505726

9781400835720

1400835720

OCLC:

593337082