Principles Of Communication - Animal Behavior

A) fitness benefits for both the sender and the receiver.
B) signal perception by the receiver and signal production by the sender.
C) the relay of information via cues.
D) selection pressure only on the sender of a signal.

Answer

Question 2

(Multiple Choice)

Free

The elbow orchid sends a deceitful signal to a male wasp, who will sometimes mistakenly fly to the orchid, mistaking it for a female. Why does this maladaptive male response persist, despite the costs it incurs in time and energy?

A) The fitness gains that male wasps gain on average for responding to the signal outweigh the fitness losses of those individuals that are deceived.
B) The male wasp's response is a by-product of a different adaptation, so it persists despite its fitness costs.
C) The orchid's signal is recently evolved, and wasps haven't yet adapted in response.
D) The elbow orchid is relaying a multicomponent signal, which contains additional beneficial information for the wasp.

Answer

Question 3

(Multiple Choice)

Free

White-tailed deer raise their tails when they spot a predator approaching; the predator typically gives up its pursuit once it knows that the faster prey species has seen it. This is an example of

A) cueing.
B) eavesdropping.
C) honest signaling.
D) deceitful signaling.

Answer