scholarly journals Development of Communication Behaviour: Receiver Ontogeny in Túngara Frogs and a Prospectus for a Behavioural Evolutionary Development

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander T. Baugh ◽  
Kim L. Hoke ◽  
Michael J. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Communication Systems ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Mate Recognition ◽  
Evolutionary Development ◽  
Communication Signals ◽  
Tungara Frogs ◽  
Signal Production ◽  
Evolution Of Signals ◽  
Evolution Of Communication ◽  
Behaviour Recognition

Most studies addressing the development of animal communication have focused on signal production rather than receiver decoding, and similar emphasis has been given to learning over nonlearning. But receivers are an integral part of a communication network, and nonlearned mechanisms appear to be more ubiquitous than learned ones in the communication systems of most animals. Here we review the results of recent experiments and outline future directions for integrative studies on the development of a primarily nonlearned behaviour—recognition of communication signals during ontogeny in a tropical frog. The results suggest that antecedents to adult behaviours might be a common feature of developing organisms. Given the essential role that acoustic communication serves in reproduction for many organisms and that receivers can exert strong influence on the evolution of signals, understanding the evolutionary developmental basis of mate recognition will provide new insights into the evolution of communication systems.

Patterns of evolution in human speech processing and animal communication

1998 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 282-283
Author(s):  
Michael J. Ryan ◽  
Nicole M. Kime ◽  
Gil G. Rosenthal
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Speech Processing ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Low Noise ◽  
Communication Signals ◽  
Human Speech ◽  
Strong Selection ◽  
Processing Data ◽  
Receiver System

We consider Sussman et al.'s suggestion that auditory biases for processing low-noise relationships among pairs of acoustic variables is a preadaptation for human speech processing. Data from other animal communication systems, especially those involving sexual selection, also suggest that neural biases in the receiver system can generate strong selection on the form of communication signals.

scholarly journals Scratching beneath the surface: intentionality in great ape signal production

2019 ◽  
Vol 375 (1789) ◽  
pp. 20180403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsty E. Graham ◽  
Claudia Wilke ◽  
Nicole J. Lahiff ◽  
Katie E. Slocombe
Keyword(s):  
Communication Systems ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Great Ape ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Intentional Communication ◽  
Evolutionary Origins ◽  
Signal Production ◽  
Communicative Signals

Despite important similarities having been found between human and animal communication systems, surprisingly little research effort has focussed on whether the cognitive mechanisms underpinning these behaviours are also similar. In particular, it is highly debated whether signal production is the result of reflexive processes, or can be characterized as intentional. Here, we critically evaluate the criteria that are used to identify signals produced with different degrees of intentionality, and discuss recent attempts to apply these criteria to the vocal, gestural and multimodal communicative signals of great apes and more distantly related species. Finally, we outline the necessary research tools, such as physiologically validated measures of arousal, and empirical evidence that we believe would propel this debate forward and help unravel the evolutionary origins of human intentional communication. This article is part of the theme issue ‘What can animal communication teach us about human language?’

Geographic Variation in Animal Communication Systems

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Wilczynski ◽  
Michael J. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Variation ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Special Problem ◽  
Challenging Problem ◽  
Evolution Of Communication ◽  
Intraspecific Communication ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Species Isolation

Intraspecific communication is fundamental to most social behavior. It is also a special problem in animal behavior because it necessarily involves the interaction of two systems within a species, a sender and a receiver (Walker 1957, Blair 1964, Capranica 1966, Schneider 1974, Hoy et al. 1977, Hopkins and Bass 1981, Gerhardt 1988, Brenowitz 1994). Sender and receiver components are almost always separable morphologically, physiologically, and behaviorally. Each may be under different mechanistic and developmental control, and, especially in those cases in which the senders and receivers are segregated by sex, the impact of selection pressures and constraints can be very different (Brenowitz 1986, Ryan 1986, 1988; Wilczynski 1986, Endler 1983, 1993). The presence of two different but necessarily interacting components make the evolution of communication systems a particularly challenging problem in behavioral biology. In any communication system, the interaction between senders and receivers dictates some degree of matching such that the signal emitted by one member of the communicating pair is effectively received, recognized, and assessed by the other member (Blair 1964, Gerhardt 1982, 1988; Capranica and Moffat 1983, Littlejohn 1988, Ryan 1988, 1991; Endler 1993). Effective coupling of senders and receivers is crucial when communication underlies mate choice. Communication systems that accurately discriminate between heterospecifics and conspecifics, while effectively linking conspecifics to each other, are important for ensuring mating with genetically compatible conspecifics. As such, communication systems can be integral parts of speciation and the maintenance of species isolation (Blair 1958, Mayr 1963, Paterson 1985, 1993; Littlejohn 1981, 1988; Butlin 1987, Coyne and Orr 1989, Claridge 1993, Moore 1993, Wood 1993). The natural variation among and within species in both signals and receivers provides a means for examining the factors contributing to the evolution of communication systems (Templeton 1981, Ryan and Keddy-Hector 1992, Paterson 1993). Among the different levels of variation observed, geographic variation provides the best material for disentangling the myriad factors shaping the evolution and divergence of communication systems and for testing fundamental ideas about the evolution of behavior (Endler 1983, Baker and Cunningham 1985, Nevo and Capranica 1985, Ryan and Wilczynski 1991, Loftus-Hills and Littlejohn 1992).

scholarly journals Leptinergic Regulation of Vertebrate Communication Signals

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrnoush Nourbakhsh-Rey ◽  
Michael Markham
Keyword(s):  
Information Content ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Indirect Costs ◽  
Peptide Hormone ◽  
Weakly Electric Fish ◽  
Communication Signals ◽  
Signal Features ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Signal Production ◽  
Weakly Electric

Animal communication signals are regulated by multiple hormonal axes that ensure appropriate signal targeting, timing, and information content. The regulatory roles of steroid hormones and many peptide hormones are well understood and documented across a wide range of vertebrate taxa. Two recent studies have reported a novel function for leptin, a peptide hormone central to energy balance regulation: regulating communication signals of weakly electric fish and singing mice. With only limited evidence available at this time, a key question is just how widespread leptinergic regulation of communication signals is within and across taxa. A second important question is what features of communication signals are subject to leptinergic regulation. Here we consider the functional significance of leptinergic regulation of animal communication signals in the context of both direct and indirect signal metabolic costs. Direct costs arise from metabolic investment in signal production, while indirect costs arise from the predation and social conflict consequences of the signal’s information content. We propose a preliminary conceptual framework for predicting which species will exhibit leptinergic regulation of their communication signals and which signal features leptin will regulate. This framework suggests a number of directly testable predictions within and across taxa. Accounting for additional factors such as life history and reproductive strategies will likely require modification or elaboration of this model.

Some general comments on the evolution and design of animal communication systems

1993 ◽  
Vol 340 (1292) ◽  
pp. 215-225 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Communication Systems ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Signal Design ◽  
Geological Time ◽  
Minimum Requirement ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Evolution Of Signals ◽  
Efficiency And Reliability ◽  
Signalling Systems

Animal communication systems have evolved so that individuals can make decisions based upon the behaviour, physiology or morphology of others. Receiving mechanism s probably evolve to increase the efficiency and reliability of information reception whereas signals probably evolve to increase the efficiency of communication and reliability of manipulation of the receiving individual to the benefit of the emitter. The minimum requirement for clear reception suggests that any study of the evolution and design of communication systems must consider the factors that affect the quality of the received and processed signal. Critical information is needed about how the signal is generated and emitted, how it fares during transmission through air, water or substrate, how it is received and processed by the receiver’s sensory and cognitive systems, and the factors which affect the fitness consequences of alternative ways of reacting to the information contained in the signal. These should allow predictions about the kinds and forms of signals used by animals signalling under known conditions. Phylogenetic history, and the geological time a clade spends in different signalling environments, will also affect signal evolution, and hence the success of predictions about signal design. W e need to use methods of m any different biological fields to understand the design and evolution of signals and signalling systems.

scholarly journals Environmental and morphological constraints interact to drive the evolution of communication signals in frogs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matías I. Muñoz ◽  
Sandra Goutte ◽  
Jacintha Ellers ◽  
Wouter Halfwerk
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Sound Production ◽  
Dominant Frequency ◽  
Signal Evolution ◽  
Communication Signals ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Frog Species ◽  
Signal Production ◽  
Evolution Of Communication

AbstractAnimals show a rich diversity of signals and displays. Among the many selective forces driving the evolution of communication between individuals, one widely recognized factor is the structure of the environment in which signals are produced, transmitted and received. In particular, animals communicating by sounds often emit acoustic signals from specific locations, such as high up in the air, from the ground or in the water. The properties of these different display sites will impose different constraints on sound production and transmission and may therefore drive signal evolution. Here, we used comparative phylogenetic analyses to assess the relationship between the display site properties and the structure of reproductive calls from 161 frog species from the frog families Ranidae, Leptodactylidae and Hylidae. Specifically, we compared the dominant frequency of species that vocalize from aquatic versus non-aquatic sites, and its relation with body size. We found that the dominant frequency of frogs calling from the water was lower than that of species calling outside of the water, a trend that was consistent across the three families studied. Furthermore, phylogenetic path analysis revealed that the call site had both direct and indirect effects on the dominant frequency. Indirect effects were mediated by call site influencing male body size, which in turn was negatively associated to call dominant frequency. Our results suggest that properties of display sites can drive signal evolution, most likely through morphological constraints, in particular the ones imposed on the sound production mechanism. Also, variation in body size between calling sites explained some of the differences we found in call frequency, highlighting the relevance of the interplay between morphological adaptation and signal evolution. Changes of display site may therefore have important evolutionary consequences, as it may influence sexual selection processes and ultimately may even promote speciation.Impact summaryTo attract or impress mates, animals have evolved a great diversity of communication signals, such as song and dance, or brightly colored body parts. Whether these sexual signals are successful depends to a large extent on the environment in which they are produced, transmitted and perceived. For acoustic signals, such as the mating calls of frogs, the environment is well known to influence both their transmission and perception. The impact of the environment on the production of sounds is however far less understood. Here we studied the relation between the environment and signal design across a wide range of frog species, specifically comparing calls of aquatic versus non-aquatic species.Frogs that called from water were found to call at lower pitch, which was partly explained by the fact that they were also larger. Our results point towards an important environmental driver of signal evolution, namely morphological constraints on signal production. We argue that the environment can impose limits on morphological traits that are either directly or indirectly involved in signal production. Such a mechanism would in particular be important when species move into new habitats, as rapid changes to display sites may lead to rapid changes in sexual signaling and sexual attractiveness.

scholarly journals Vocal plasticity in a reptile

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1855) ◽  
pp. 20170451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Brumm ◽  
Sue Anne Zollinger
Keyword(s):  
Signal Detection ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Vocal Plasticity ◽  
Lombard Effect ◽  
Gekko Gecko ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Signalling Systems

Sophisticated vocal communication systems of birds and mammals, including human speech, are characterized by a high degree of plasticity in which signals are individually adjusted in response to changes in the environment. Here, we present, to our knowledge, the first evidence for vocal plasticity in a reptile. Like birds and mammals, tokay geckos ( Gekko gecko ) increased the duration of brief call notes in the presence of broadcast noise compared to quiet conditions, a behaviour that facilitates signal detection by receivers. By contrast, they did not adjust the amplitudes of their call syllables in noise (the Lombard effect), which is in line with the hypothesis that the Lombard effect has evolved independently in birds and mammals. However, the geckos used a different strategy to increase signal-to-noise ratios: instead of increasing the amplitude of a given call type when exposed to noise, the subjects produced more high-amplitude syllable types from their repertoire. Our findings demonstrate that reptile vocalizations are much more flexible than previously thought, including elaborate vocal plasticity that is also important for the complex signalling systems of birds and mammals. We suggest that signal detection constraints are one of the major forces driving the evolution of animal communication systems across different taxa.

scholarly journals Acoustic cues to individuality in wild male adult African savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana)

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e10736
Author(s):  
Kaja Wierucka ◽  
Michelle D. Henley ◽  
Hannah S. Mumby
Keyword(s):  
Communication Systems ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Individual Recognition ◽  
Social Bonds ◽  
Loxodonta Africana ◽  
Mature Male ◽  
Acoustic Cues ◽  
Acoustic Parameters ◽  
Male Adult

The ability to recognize conspecifics plays a pivotal role in animal communication systems. It is especially important for establishing and maintaining associations among individuals of social, long-lived species, such as elephants. While research on female elephant sociality and communication is prevalent, until recently male elephants have been considered far less social than females. This resulted in a dearth of information about their communication and recognition abilities. With new knowledge about the intricacies of the male elephant social structure come questions regarding the communication basis that allows for social bonds to be established and maintained. By analyzing the acoustic parameters of social rumbles recorded over 1.5 years from wild, mature, male African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) we expand current knowledge about the information encoded within these vocalizations and their potential to facilitate individual recognition. We showed that social rumbles are individually distinct and stable over time and therefore provide an acoustic basis for individual recognition. Furthermore, our results revealed that different frequency parameters contribute to individual differences of these vocalizations.

scholarly journals A Case Study on the Evolutionary Development of U.S Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-46
Author(s):  
Jaewoo Kim ◽  
Sangryul Shim
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Performance Improvement ◽  
Mass Production ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Initial Mass ◽  
Evolutionary Development ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Initial Development ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Global Hawk

In October 2018, the Korean Army established a Dronebot unit. The future battleground is expected to be led by drones and robots. However, in order to utilize new weapons systems such as drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the Korean army, it is necessary to go through complicated and long-term defense acquisition procedures, which make it difficult to adopt and reflect the latest technologies immediately. The purpose of this study is to derive some implications for the efficient development and acquisition of UAVs in Korea through in-depth case analysis on the evolutionary development and acquisition of U.S. military UAVs. Accordingly, this study focused on the tactical/strategic U.S. fixed-wing UAVs which have been developed and mass-produced since 1990s, weighing more than 150kg. They include Shadow-200 as brigade/division-level UAV, Predator and Reaper as midium altitude UAVs, and Global Hawk as high altitude UAV. These must not only satisfy the required operational capability (ROC), but also receive strict airworthiness certification. Among them, Predator and Global Hawk were carried out as New Conceptual Technology Development Demonstration (ACTD), and prototypes under development were put into the Middle East battle. Although there were several accidents, flexible development processes such as system development or initial mass production were applied after ACTD. The initial target performance was set to be low and operability verification was prioritized, and the performance was improved through the evolutionary development of initial low rate mass production, subsequent mass production, and subsequent performance improvement. Despite the initial mass production phase, all required performance was not confirmed, and the required performance was presented in a range of flexibility. On the other hand, there have been large-scale changes such as engine replacement, aircraft change and communication systems upgrade to improve performance. Mission equipment was developed separately and applied to mass production when operability was confirmed. In the process of the development and acquisition of these UAVs, unforeseen accidents, huge losses and increased costs happened, but the U.S. government continued to pursue an evolutionary development policy for military drones. Therefore, in developing and acquiring new high-tech military unmanned aerial vehicles, it is necessary for Korea to develop and acquire them based on operability in the initial development stage, and to enhance its combat capabilities by improving its performance in the stages of initial mass production, follow-up mass production and performance improvement.

scholarly journals Multimodal signalling in the North American barn swallow: a phenotype network approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1816) ◽  
pp. 20151574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Wilkins ◽  
Daizaburo Shizuka ◽  
Maxwell B. Joseph ◽  
Joanna K. Hubbard ◽  
Rebecca J. Safran
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
North American ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Complex Signal ◽  
Network Approach ◽  
Barn Swallow ◽  
Complex Signals ◽  
The North ◽  
Phenotype Network

Complex signals, involving multiple components within and across modalities, are common in animal communication. However, decomposing complex signals into traits and their interactions remains a fundamental challenge for studies of phenotype evolution. We apply a novel phenotype network approach for studying complex signal evolution in the North American barn swallow ( Hirundo rustica erythrogaster ). We integrate model testing with correlation-based phenotype networks to infer the contributions of female mate choice and male–male competition to the evolution of barn swallow communication. Overall, the best predictors of mate choice were distinct from those for competition, while moderate functional overlap suggests males and females use some of the same traits to assess potential mates and rivals. We interpret model results in the context of a network of traits, and suggest this approach allows researchers a more nuanced view of trait clustering patterns that informs new hypotheses about the evolution of communication systems.

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