Document Detail


The evolution of individual variation in communication strategies.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20561050     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Communication is a process in which senders provide information via signals and receivers respond accordingly. This process relies on two coevolving conventions: a "sender code" that determines what kind of signal is to be sent given the sender's state; and a "receiver code" that determines the appropriate responses to different signal types. By means of a simple but generic model, we show that polymorphic sender and receiver strategies emerge naturally during the evolution of communication, and that the number of alternative strategies observed at equilibrium depends on the potential for error in signal production. Our model suggests that alternative communication strategies will evolve whenever senders possess imperfect information about their own quality or state, signals are costly, and genetic mechanisms allow for a correlation between sender and receiver behavior. These findings provide an explanation for recent reports of individual differences in communication strategies, and suggest that the amount of individual variation that can be expected in communication systems depends on the type of information being conveyed. Our model also suggests a link between communication and the evolution of animal personalities, which is that individual differences in the production and interpretation of signals can result in consistent differences in behavior.
Authors:
Carlos A Botero; Ido Pen; Jan Komdeur; Franz J Weissing
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Evolution; international journal of organic evolution     Volume:  64     ISSN:  1558-5646     ISO Abbreviation:  Evolution     Publication Date:  2010 Nov 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-10-22     Completed Date:  2011-02-02     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0373224     Medline TA:  Evolution     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  3123-33     Citation Subset:  IM    
Copyright Information:
© 2010 The Author(s). Evolution© 2010 The Society for the Study of Evolution.
Affiliation:
National Evolutionary Synthesis Centre, 2024 W Main Street, Suite A200, Durham, North Carolina 27705, USA. c.a.botero@nescent.org
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animal Communication*
Animals
Behavior, Animal
Biological Evolution
Birds / physiology
Computer Simulation
Models, Biological
Models, Genetic
Models, Statistical
Mutation
Reproducibility of Results
Signal Detection, Psychological

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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