The Influence of the Sensory System and the Environment on Motion Patterns in the Visual Displays of Anoline Lizards and Other Vertebrates

Fleishman, Leo J.

doi:10.1086/285304

Cited by 244 publications

(222 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Early investigations into the structure of these displays suggested that some species begin their displays with exaggerated introductory movements to facilitate signal detection against visually noisy backgrounds of windblown vegetation (17) or to improve detection when displays are directed at distant conspecifics (18). We observed that several species of Puerto Rican anole often initiated displays with a series of exaggerated 4-legged pushups before delivering the species-typical headbob sequence.…”

mentioning

confidence: 74%

“…Communication is complicated by periods in which ambient light levels are low or "environmental visual noise" is high, as a result of movement from windblown plants and shifting sunspots around the signaling individual. Both poor light and visual noise are predicted to reduce the distance over which dynamic visual displays are detected (6,17,25,26). We then supplemented our observations with a series of field "playback" experiments using robotic lizards (27) to test whether introductory pushups improve the detectability of broadcast displays under visually challenging conditions.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Alert signals enhance animal communication in “noisy” environments

Ord

Stamps²

2008

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

110

132

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Environmental noise that reduces the probability that animals will detect communicative signals poses a special challenge for longrange communication. The application of signal-detection theory to animal communication lead to the prediction that signals directed at distant receivers in noisy environments will begin with conspicuous "alerting" components to attract the attention of receivers, before delivery of the information-rich portion of the signal. Whether animals actually adopt this strategy is not clear, despite suggestions that alerts might exist in a variety of taxa. By using a combination of behavioral observations and experimental manipulations with robotic lizard "playbacks," we show that free-living territorial Anolis lizards add an "alert" to visual displays when communicating to distant receivers in situations of poor visibility, and that these introductory alerts in turn enhance signal detection in adverse signaling conditions. Our results show that Anolis lizards are able to evaluate environmental conditions that affect the degradation of long-distance signals and adjust their behavior accordingly. This study demonstrates that free-living animals enhance the efficiency of long-range communication through the modulation of signal design and the facultative addition of an alert. Our findings confirm that alert signals are an important strategy for communicating in "noisy" conditions and suggest a reexamination of the existence of alerts in other animals relying on long-range communication.animal signals ͉ habitat noise ͉ robotic lizard playbacks ͉ tropical lizard S ocial communication requires that signals be successively transmitted through the environment and detected by receivers. How animals minimize the effects of environmental degradation on signal propagation is a classic focus of communication research (1-3) and is often central to understanding the way animals communicate (4-6) and interact with each other (7-9). Signal detection theory (10) and empirical studies (3) show that simple signal components suffer lower rates of environmental attenuation than more complex, information-rich components. This results in a fundamental tradeoff in the evolution of signal design. A solution would be the production of a composite signal beginning with a simple conspicuous component (an "alert") that attracts the attention of a receiver, which is then followed by a more detailed "message" component

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mentioning

confidence: 74%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Alert signals enhance animal communication in “noisy” environments

Ord

Stamps²

2008

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

110

132

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“…Eleven A. cristatellus approached the snake model using a series of jerky jumps. Displays performed in a jerky fashion are designed to exaggerate the amplitude of the display, which enables the prey to elicit the predator's attention faster and in a more effective way (Fleishman 1992). Moving toward the snake in a jerky pattern while performing dewlapping or push-ups supports the use of dewlapping and push-ups as predator deterrent signals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Anoles rely almost exclusively on visual cues for social communication and the detection of potential predators (Underwood 1970;Fleishman 1992). Although social interactions have been considered the main selective force in the evolution of signals in Anolis (Crews 1975;Jenssen 1977), some anoles give conspicuous displays in the presence of a predator when conspecifics are absent (Leal & Rodríguez-Robles 1995, in press), implying that predation pressure may have also contributed to the evolution of these signals.…”

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confidence: 99%

Signalling displays during predator–prey interactions in a Puerto Rican anole,Anolis cristatellus

1997

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Abstract. We examined conspicuous signalling displays in the context of predator-prey interactions. To determine in which context Puerto Rican crested anoles, Anolis cristatellus, perform conspicuous signals, we exposed wild lizards to a model of a natural snake predator. The lizards gave six behavioural responses to the model: immobility, predator inspection, flight, lateral face-off, dewlapping and push-ups. They displayed significantly more push-ups and push-up bouts in the presence of the snake model. Alternative theories regarding the function of conspicuous signals in A. cristatellus, the flash concealment and predator deterrent hypotheses, were also tested. The flash concealment hypothesis proposes that the sudden display exhibition of signalling behaviour followed by the flight of the animal may confuse the predator about the position of the prey, thus causing the predator to abort the attack. The pursuit deterrent hypothesis contends that because the chances of the predator successfully attacking its prey decrease when the prey is aware of the incoming predator, prey have evolved signalling behaviours that communicate to the predator that it has been detected, therefore discouraging the attack.

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“…Thus, the results of our study provide evidence that two ontogenetically unrelated ornaments may be indicating different components of male quality. In addition, the importance of different components of a male's coloration may change in relation to the distance between a displaying male and the receivers, and it is known that males may use a hierarchical arrangement of cues that may vary with this distance (Losos, 1985;Fleishman, 1992). A male's orange head may be a more effective long-distance signal, but at shorter distances, blue patches may become more important to provide information about sex identification and other male traits.…”

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confidence: 99%

A permanent signal related to male pairing success and survival in the lizard Psammodromus algirus

Veiga

Salvador

2008

Amphib Reptilia

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Abstract:Many species of lizards have colour spots on the flanks that may function as ornaments.We investigate the between-years stability of the blue patch colour saturation and the relationships between colour saturation, mating success, and survival in males of the lizard Psammodromus algirus. Saturation values of the anterior blue patch of males were significantly repeatable across years. Survivors had more saturated patches than non-survivors among paired males but not among non-paired males. The positive relationship between blue patch saturation and survival suggests that this morphological trait acts as a reliable signal of male quality measured as adult survival.

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The Influence of the Sensory System and the Environment on Motion Patterns in the Visual Displays of Anoline Lizards and Other Vertebrates

Cited by 244 publications

References 38 publications

Alert signals enhance animal communication in “noisy” environments

Alert signals enhance animal communication in “noisy” environments

Signalling displays during predator–prey interactions in a Puerto Rican anole,Anolis cristatellus

A permanent signal related to male pairing success and survival in the lizard Psammodromus algirus

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