Rates of signal evolution are associated with the nature of interspecific communication

David Wheatcroft and Trevor D. Price

Behavioral Ecology, 2015, vol. 26, issue 1, 83-90

Abstract: Some signals vary greatly, whereas others are remarkably similar across distantly related species. Here, we ask how the suite of receivers and information communicated correlates with signal evolution by comparing 2 different signals across the same set of species. Within the Old World leaf warblers (Phylloscopidae), each species utters 2 acoustically distinct alarm calls. The first, termed a "general" call, is used in interactions with conspecifics as a well as during confrontations with predators and nest-parasitic cuckoos. The second, termed a "rasp" call, is primarily used in the presence of nest-parasitic cuckoos. The rasp call precedes aggressive attacks on cuckoos and attracts surrounding heterospecifics that are also potential hosts. The general call attracts a wide range of species threatened by predators, including those that are not cuckoo hosts. Acoustic features of general calls evolve >5× faster than rasp calls. We argue that rasp calls show strong stasis because they have a restricted function as aggressive antiparasite signals, whereas multiple contexts and receivers have promoted divergence in general calls. These results support the idea that variation in the suite of receivers is a powerful force affecting signal evolution.

Date: 2015
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