Amplifiers and the origin of animal signals

ABSTRACT: In 1989, Hasson introduced the concept of an ‘amplifier’ within animal communication. This display reduces errors in the assessment of traits for which there is direct selection and renders differences in quality among animals more obvious. Amplifiers can evolve to fixation via the benefit they confer on high-quality animals. However, they also impose a cost on low-quality animals by revealing their lower quality, potentially leading these to refrain from amplifying. Hence, it was suggested that, if the level of amplification correlates with quality, direct choice for the amplifying display might emerge. Using the framework of signal detection theory, this article shows that, if the use of an amplifier is observable, direct choice for the amplifying display can indeed evolve. Consequently,

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PROVIDER: S-EPMC4920312 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature