Communication
Communication
Animals rely on a variety of forms of communication to convey information.
Learning Outcome: Compare and contrast forms of communication, including advantages and disadvantages of each.
This frog is croaking to attract a potential mate. The advantage is that the female can hear the male even if she doesn’t see him. The disadvantage is that potential predators can hear the frog as well.
This video introduces the various forms of animal communication, including their advantages and disadvantages.
Watch this video; you can select the closed captioning “cc” option if you would like to see the text.
We often focus on visual identification, but audio identification can be valuable, particularly if the organism is out of visual range.
Watch this video; you can select the closed captioning “cc” option if you would like to see the text.
In this aviary, large numbers of birds are flying around and communicating. Bird song varies based on the number of individuals present, nutrition, weather conditions (temperature, moisture), and the proximity of a potential predator.
Geese use vocalizations to establish dominance hierarchies and attract mates. In many cases what sounds like loud random noises to our ears, conveys meaning between the ducks.
Cricket males make a chirping sound by rubbing their rear legs together. This process, called stridulation, is genetically programmed, although males may improve the quality of their sound through practice.
On a warm summer night, the nocturnal crickets are actively communicating.
These crickets are too young to “chirp.” Changes in hormones promote stridulation in adult males.
Loaches use a variety of forms of communication, including tactile. See if you can catch their “reassuring” touches when the camera gets too close to the tank.
Kittens purr and knead with their paws, behaviors that may calm the mother during nursing. However, both behaviors can persist into adulthood and be used during interactions with humans. Is there the potential impact on a domestic cat’s fitness if it purrs and kneads?
Next up are the “ultimate” societies in terms of complex behaviors: eusocieties.
Check your knowledge – Communication
Review your notes. Can you provide examples of different forms of animal communication? If so, move forward to the next page.
Learning Objective:
Compare and contrast forms of communication, including advantages and disadvantages of each.
Go back to the Social Behaviors Page
Go forward to the Eusociality Page
Science Stories Contents
Complete all five of these sections before taking the quiz and submitting your media piece.
This Module
9: Why does it behave like this?
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9C: Science Stories
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