Diversification of honest signals in a predator-prey system
- PMID:20597158
- DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01469.x
Diversification of honest signals in a predator-prey system
Abstract
Many animals use bright colouration to advertise their toxicity to predators. It is now well established that both toxicity and colouration are often variable within prey populations, yet it is an open question whether or not brighter signals should be used by the more toxic members of the population. We therefore describe a model in which signal honesty can easily be explained. We assumed that prey toxicity is environmentally conferred and variable between individuals, and that signalling bears a cost through attracting the attention of predators. A key assumption is that predators know the mean toxicity associated with each signalling level, so that the probability of attack for each signal value declines as mean toxicity associated with that signal increases. The probability of death given attack for each individual, however, declines with the precise value of its own toxicity, and prey must evolve the optimal level of signal to match the toxicity level that they acquire from their environments. At the start of our simulations there is no signalling system, as neither prey nor predators have biases that favour signal diversification. Over evolutionary time, however, a positive correlation emerges between signal strength and the mean toxicity associated with each signal level. When stability is reached, predators change their behaviour so that they now tend to avoid prey that signal conspicuously. In addition to predicting within-species signal reliability, our model can explain the initial evolution of aposematic displays without the need to assume special biases in predators.
Similar articles
- Honest signaling and the uses of prey coloration.Lee TJ, Speed MP, Stephens PA.Lee TJ, et al.Am Nat. 2011 Jul;178(1):E1-9. doi: 10.1086/660197.Am Nat. 2011.PMID:21670571
- Warning displays may function as honest signals of toxicity.Blount JD, Speed MP, Ruxton GD, Stephens PA.Blount JD, et al.Proc Biol Sci. 2009 Mar 7;276(1658):871-7. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2008.1407.Proc Biol Sci. 2009.PMID:19019790Free PMC article.
- Conditions for the spread of conspicuous warning signals: a numerical model with novel insights.Puurtinen M, Kaitala V.Puurtinen M, et al.Evolution. 2006 Nov;60(11):2246-56.Evolution. 2006.PMID:17236418
- Perspective: the evolution of warning coloration is not paradoxical.Marples NM, Kelly DJ, Thomas RJ.Marples NM, et al.Evolution. 2005 May;59(5):933-40.Evolution. 2005.PMID:16136793Review.
- Upward Adaptive Radiation Cascades: Predator Diversification Induced by Prey Diversification.Brodersen J, Post DM, Seehausen O.Brodersen J, et al.Trends Ecol Evol. 2018 Jan;33(1):59-70. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2017.09.016. Epub 2017 Oct 30.Trends Ecol Evol. 2018.PMID:29096889Review.
Cited by
- Brighter-colored paper wasps (Polistes dominula) have larger poison glands.Vidal-Cordero JM, Moreno-Rueda G, López-Orta A, Marfil-Daza C, Ros-Santaella JL, Ortiz-Sánchez FJ.Vidal-Cordero JM, et al.Front Zool. 2012 Aug 20;9(1):20. doi: 10.1186/1742-9994-9-20.Front Zool. 2012.PMID:22901602Free PMC article.
- Spatial and temporal instability of local biotic community mediate a form of aposematic defense in newts, consisting of carotenoid-based coloration and tetrodotoxin.Mochida K, Kitada M, Ikeda K, Toda M, Takatani T, Arakawa O.Mochida K, et al.J Chem Ecol. 2013 Sep;39(9):1186-92. doi: 10.1007/s10886-013-0342-8. Epub 2013 Sep 8.J Chem Ecol. 2013.PMID:24014098
- Meta-analytic evidence for quantitative honesty in aposematic signals.White TE, Umbers KDL.White TE, et al.Proc Biol Sci. 2021 Apr 28;288(1949):20210679. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0679. Epub 2021 Apr 28.Proc Biol Sci. 2021.PMID:33906408Free PMC article.
- Highly defended nudibranchs "escape" to visually distinct background habitats.van den Berg CP, Santon M, Endler JA, Cheney KL.van den Berg CP, et al.Behav Ecol. 2024 Jul 4;35(5):arae053. doi: 10.1093/beheco/arae053. eCollection 2024 Sep-Oct.Behav Ecol. 2024.PMID:39086666Free PMC article.
- No evidence of quantitative signal honesty across species of aposematic burnet moths (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae).Briolat ES, Zagrobelny M, Olsen CE, Blount JD, Stevens M.Briolat ES, et al.J Evol Biol. 2019 Jan;32(1):31-48. doi: 10.1111/jeb.13389. Epub 2018 Nov 2.J Evol Biol. 2019.PMID:30317689Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources