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Mid-flight prey switching in the fringed-lipped bat (Trachops cirrhosus). Naturwissenschaften 2022; 109:43. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-022-01813-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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2
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Li LL, He R, Pansini R, Quan RC. Prolonged proximity to humans ensures better performance of semi-captive Asian elephants at discriminating between human individuals by voice. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.963052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To avoid risks, organisms must recognize threatening heterospecies from non-threatening ones via acoustic cues from a distance. With land-use change, humans have encroached considerably into natural areas. Therefore, it is beneficial to animals to use acoustic cues to discriminate between different levels of threats posed by humans. Our study aims at testing this discriminatory ability in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), animals that have been for long history subjected to human interaction. We tested whether eighteen semi-captive elephants could discriminate between voices of their own mahouts (i.e., who take care of the elephants exclusively) and of other mahouts (unfamiliar individuals). The results showed that elephants responded successfully to the commands from their own mahouts, with an average response rate as high as 78.8%. The more years the mahouts had been as their caretakers, the more the elephant showed active responses toward the commands. Female elephants responded to the commands more frequently and faster than males. Also younger elephants responded more frequently and faster than older elephants. We argue that Asian elephants can discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar humans by acoustic cues alone. Proximity with humans may be a factor, as fundamental as domestication, for animals to develop heterospecies discriminatory ability.
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White TE, Latty T, Umbers KDL. The exploitation of sexual signals by predators: a meta-analysis. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220444. [PMID: 35642366 PMCID: PMC9156902 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual signals are often central to reproduction, and their expression is thought to strike a balance between advertising to mates and avoiding detection by predatory eavesdroppers. Tests of the predicted predation costs have produced mixed results, however. Here we synthesized 187 effects from 78 experimental studies in a meta-analytic test of two questions; namely, whether predators, parasites and parasitoids express preferences for the sexual signals of prey, and whether sexual signals increase realized predation risk in the wild. We found that predators and parasitoids express strong and consistent preferences for signals in forced-choice contexts. We found a similarly strong overall increase in predation on sexual signallers in the wild, though here it was modality specific. Olfactory and acoustic signals increased the incidence of eavesdropping relative to visual signals, which experienced no greater risk than controls on average. Variation in outcome measures was universally high, suggesting that contexts in which sexual signalling may incur no cost, or even reduce the incidence of predation, are common. Our results reveal unexpected complexity in a central viability cost to sexual signalling, while also speaking to applied problems in invasion biology and pest management where signal exploitation holds promise for bio-inspired solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E. White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2106, Australia
| | - Tanya Latty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2106, Australia
| | - Kate D. L. Umbers
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales 2751, Australia,Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales 2751, Australia
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4
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OUP accepted manuscript. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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5
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Page RA, ter Hofstede HM. Sensory and Cognitive Ecology of Bats. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012921-052635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We see stunning morphological diversity across the animal world. Less conspicuous but equally fascinating are the sensory and cognitive adaptations that determine animals’ interactions with their environments and each other. We discuss the development of the fields of sensory and cognitive ecology and the importance of integrating these fields to understand the evolution of adaptive behaviors. Bats, with their extraordinarily high ecological diversity, are ideal animals for this purpose. An explosion in recent research allows for better understanding of the molecular, genetic, neural, and behavioral bases for sensory ecology and cognition in bats. We give examples of studies that illuminate connections between sensory and cognitive features of information filtering, evolutionary trade-offs in sensory and cognitive processing, and multimodal sensing and integration. By investigating the selective pressures underlying information acquisition, processing, and use in bats, we aim to illuminate patterns and processes driving sensory and cognitive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A. Page
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843–03092, Balboa, Ancón, República de Panamá
| | - Hannah M. ter Hofstede
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843–03092, Balboa, Ancón, República de Panamá
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA
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6
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Escape-hatching decisions show adaptive ontogenetic changes in how embryos manage ambiguity in predation risk cues. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03070-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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7
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Learning how to eavesdrop in multiple modalities: a test of associative learning using unimodal and multimodal playback. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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8
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James LS, Halfwerk W, Hunter KL, Page RA, Taylor RC, Wilson PS, Ryan MJ. Covariation among multimodal components in the courtship display of the túngara frog. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:269203. [PMID: 34142696 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.241661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Communication systems often include a variety of components, including those that span modalities, which may facilitate detection and decision-making. For example, female túngara frogs and fringe-lipped bats generally rely on acoustic mating signals to find male túngara frogs in a mating or foraging context, respectively. However, two additional cues (vocal sac inflation and water ripples) can enhance detection and choice behavior. To date, we do not know the natural variation and covariation of these three components. To address this, we made detailed recordings of calling males, including call amplitude, vocal sac volume and water ripple height, in 54 frogs (2430 calls). We found that all three measures correlated, with the strongest association between the vocal sac volume and call amplitude. We also found that multimodal models predicted the mass of calling males better than unimodal models. These results demonstrate how multimodal components of a communication system relate to each other and provide an important foundation for future studies on how receivers integrate and compare complex displays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan S James
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panamá
| | - Wouter Halfwerk
- Department of Ecological Science, VU University, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Kimberly L Hunter
- Department of Biological Sciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
| | - Rachel A Page
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panamá
| | - Ryan C Taylor
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panamá.,Department of Biological Sciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD 21801, USA
| | - Preston S Wilson
- Applied Research Laboratories and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78713, USA
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panamá
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9
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Predatory behavior and sensory morphology of the whip spider Charinus asturius (Arachnida: Amblypygi). J ETHOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-020-00648-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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10
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Uetz GW, Clark DL, Kane H, Stoffer B. Listening in: the importance of vibratory courtship signals for male eavesdropping in the wolf spider, Schizocosa ocreata. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2743-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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11
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Trillo PA, Benson CS, Caldwell MS, Lam TL, Pickering OH, Logue DM. The Influence of Signaling Conspecific and Heterospecific Neighbors on Eavesdropper Pressure. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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12
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Dixon MM, Hulgard K, Ratcliffe JM, Page RA. Habituation and ecological salience: insights into the foraging ecology of the fringed-lipped bat, Trachops cirrhosus. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2700-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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13
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An Organisational Approach to Biological Communication. Acta Biotheor 2019; 67:103-128. [PMID: 30712187 DOI: 10.1007/s10441-019-09342-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
This paper aims to provide a philosophical and theoretical account of biological communication grounded in the notion of organisation. The organisational approach characterises living systems as organised in such a way that they are capable to self-produce and self-maintain while in constant interaction with the environment. To apply this theoretical framework to the study of biological communication, we focus on a specific approach, based on the notion of influence, according to which communication takes place when a signal emitted by a sender triggers a change in the behaviour of the receiver that is functional for the sender itself. We critically analyse the current formulations of this account, that interpret what is functional for the sender in terms of evolutionary adaptations. Specifically, the adoption of this etiological functional framework may lead to the exclusion of several phenomena usually studied as instances of communication, and possibly even of entire fields of investigation such as synthetic biology. As an alternative, we reframe the influence approach in organisational terms, characterising functions in terms of contributions to the current organisation of a biological system. We develop a theoretical account of biological communication in which communicative functions are distinguished from other types of biological functions described by the organisational account (e.g. metabolic, ecological, etc.). The resulting organisational-influence approach allows to carry out causal analyses of current instances of phenomena of communication, without the need to provide etiological explanations. In such a way it makes it possible to understand in terms of communication those phenomena which realise interactive patterns typical of signalling interactions-and are usually studied as such in scientific practice-despite not being the result of evolutionary adaptations. Moreover, this approach provides operational tools to design and study communicative interactions in experimental fields such as synthetic biology.
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Halfwerk W, Varkevisser J, Simon R, Mendoza E, Scharff C, Riebel K. Toward Testing for Multimodal Perception of Mating Signals. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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15
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Dore AA, McDowall L, Rouse J, Bretman A, Gage MJG, Chapman T. The role of complex cues in social and reproductive plasticity. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:124. [PMID: 30100665 PMCID: PMC6060796 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2539-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity can be a key determinant of fitness. The degree to which the expression of plasticity is adaptive relies upon the accuracy with which information about the state of the environment is integrated. This step might be particularly beneficial when environments, e.g. the social and sexual context, change rapidly. Fluctuating temporal dynamics could increase the difficulty of determining the appropriate level of expression of a plastic response. In this review, we suggest that new insights into plastic responses to the social and sexual environment (social and reproductive plasticity) may be gained by examining the role of complex cues (those comprising multiple, distinct sensory components). Such cues can enable individuals to more accurately monitor their environment in order to respond adaptively to it across the whole life course. We briefly review the hypotheses for the evolution of complex cues and then adapt these ideas to the context of social and sexual plasticity. We propose that the ability to perceive complex cues can facilitate plasticity, increase the associated fitness benefits and decrease the risk of costly 'mismatches' between phenotype and environment by (i) increasing the robustness of information gained from highly variable environments, (ii) fine-tuning responses by using multiple strands of information and (iii) reducing time lags in adaptive responses. We conclude by outlining areas for future research that will help to determine the interplay between complex cues and plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice A. Dore
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Laurin McDowall
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK
| | - James Rouse
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK
| | - Amanda Bretman
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK
| | - Matthew J. G. Gage
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Tracey Chapman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
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16
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Gomes D, Halfwerk W, Taylor R, Ryan M, Page R. Multimodal weighting differences by bats and their prey: probing natural selection pressures on sexually selected traits. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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17
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Grafe TU, Tony JA. Temporal variation in acoustic and visual signalling as a function of stream background noise in the Bornean foot-flagging frog, Staurois parvus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.22261/jea.x74qe0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
High background noise can interfere with signal detection and perception. Bornean foot-flagging frogs,Staurois parvus, live along noisy streams and use both acoustic and visual signals to communicate. It remains unclear why acoustic signalling is retained given that visual signalling appears to have clear advantages under these noisy conditions. We hypothesized that temporal dynamics in stream noise have shaped the multimodal communication system inS. parvuswith acoustic signalling at an advantage under more quiet conditions, whereas visual signals will prevail when the noise of rushing water is high after rains. We found that as predicted, maleS. parvusincreased foot flagging and decreased advertisement calling when presented with playbacks of stream noise compared to less noisy pre-playback conditions. Such context-dependent dynamic-selection regimes are recently gaining wider attention and enhance our understanding of the flexibility seen in the use of multimodal signals inS. parvus.
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18
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Nováková N, Veselý P, Fuchs R. Object categorization by wild ranging birds—Winter feeder experiments. Behav Processes 2017; 143:7-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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19
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Trillo PA, Bernal XE, Caldwell MS, Halfwerk WH, Wessel MO, Page RA. Collateral damage or a shadow of safety? The effects of signalling heterospecific neighbours on the risks of parasitism and predation. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0343. [PMID: 27194694 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although males often display from mixed-species aggregations, the influence of nearby heterospecifics on risks associated with sexual signalling has not been previously examined. We tested whether predation and parasitism risks depend on proximity to heterospecific signallers. Using field playback experiments with calls of two species that often display from the same ponds, túngara frogs and hourglass treefrogs, we tested two hypotheses: (1) calling near heterospecific signallers attractive to eavesdroppers results in increased attention from predatory bats and parasitic midges (collateral damage hypothesis) or (2) calling near heterospecific signallers reduces an individual's predation and parasitism risks, as eavesdroppers are drawn to the heterospecifics (shadow of safety hypothesis). Bat visitation was not affected by calling neighbours. The number of frog-biting midges attracted to hourglass treefrog calls, however, rose threefold when played near túngara calls, supporting the collateral damage hypothesis. We thus show that proximity to heterospecific signallers can drastically alter both the absolute risks of signalling and the relative strengths of pressures from predation and parasitism. Through these mechanisms, interactions between heterospecific guild members are likely to influence the evolution of signalling strategies and the distribution of species at both local and larger scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula A Trillo
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panamá
| | - Ximena E Bernal
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panamá Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Michael S Caldwell
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panamá
| | - Wouter H Halfwerk
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panamá Department of Ecological Science, Vrije Universitait, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mallory O Wessel
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panamá Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Rachel A Page
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panamá
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20
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Natusch DJD, Lyons JA, Shine R. How do predators and scavengers locate resource hotspots within a tropical forest? AUSTRAL ECOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. D. Natusch
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
- Resource Evaluation and Development Frogs Hollow New South Wales Australia
| | - Jessica A. Lyons
- Resource Evaluation and Development Frogs Hollow New South Wales Australia
| | - Richard Shine
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
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22
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Gomes DGE, Page RA, Geipel I, Taylor RC, Ryan MJ, Halfwerk W. Bats perceptually weight prey cues across sensory systems when hunting in noise. Science 2016; 353:1277-80. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf7934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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23
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Halfwerk W, Lea A, Guerra M, Page R, Ryan M. Vocal responses to noise reveal the presence of the Lombard effect in a frog. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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