Transmission of Information Essential Knowledge 3.E.1 Individuals - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transmission of Information

Essential Knowledge 3.E.1

Individuals Can Act on Information and Communicate it to Others

(Please watch this 10 min video and then proceed with notes)

• Organisms exchange information with each
• ther in response to internal changes and

external cues, which can change behavior

Predator Warnings

• Warning signal associated with the

unprofitability of a prey item to potential predators

• Example: Skunk spray

Predator Warnings

• Bright colors serve as a warning to predators
• f its noxious taste (ex. poison dart frog)
• Flamboyant or elaborate coloration may warn
• f toxicity (ex. cuttlefish)

Avoidance Responses

• Animals will avoid performing behaviors that

result in an aversive outcome

• Avoidance responses are nearly universal in all

animals because it is defense against potential poisoning (ex. food aversions)

Mimicry

• Warning coloration is a successful strategy
• Natural selection favors phenotypic mimics of

genuinely aposematic (warning) organisms

• Two types: Batesian and Mullerian mimicry

Communication Occurs Through Various Mechanisms

• Living systems have a variety of signal

behaviors or cues that produce changes in the behavior of other organisms and can result in differential reproductive success Examples: Territorial markings in mammals, herbivory response in plants

Herbivory Response in Plants

• A plant’s defense against herbivores (animals

who eat plants)

• Physical defenses, such as thorns and

trichomes (some release a sticky substance)

• Chemical defenses, such as the production of

a poor tasting or toxic chemical

• Some plants “recruit” predatory animals that

help defend the plant against herbivores

Herbivory Response in Plants

Visual, Audible, Tactile and Chemical Signals

• Animals use visual, audible, tactile and

chemical signals to indicate dominance, find food, establish territory and ensure reproductive success Examples: Pack behavior in wolves, waggle dance in honey bees, bird songs

Pack Behavior

Honeybee Waggle Dance

Herd, Flock and Schooling Behavior

• Herd (quadripeds), flock (birds), and schooling

(fish) behavior helps ensure reproductive success

• Avoid predation, forage for food, appear as
• ne unit, communicate information

Responding to Information and Communication of Information

• Vital to natural selection and evolution
• Natural selection favors innate and learned

behaviors that increase survival and reproductive fitness Examples: Migration patterns, courtship and mating behaviors

Migration Patterns

• Long distance movement of individuals,

usually on a seasonal basis

Courtship and Mating Behaviors

• Mating for most species is instinctual
• Goal is to create offspring with strong genes

Responding to Information and Communication of Information

• Cooperative behavior tends to increase the

fitness of the individual and the survival of the population Examples: pack behavior, herd, flock and schooling, predator warning

Prairie Dog Warning Barks

Schooling Behavior