Animal Communication: Signal Channels
How animals send, receive, and interpret messages across the natural world
π Core Framework: Sender β Signal β Channel β Receiver
Animal communication occurs when a sender produces a signal through a specific channel (acoustic, visual, chemical, electrical, or tactile) and a receiver detects and responds to it. A signal is any behaviour or trait that has evolved specifically to convey information to another organism.
Honest vs. Deceptive Signals
Honest signals reliably indicate the sender's true condition (e.g., a frog's deep croak honestly advertising its large body size). Deceptive signals exploit the receiver's evolved responses for the sender's benefit (e.g., a firefly mimicking another species' flash pattern to lure prey).
Referential Signals
A signal is referential when it denotes a specific external object or event rather than merely reflecting the sender's emotional state. Vervet monkey alarm calls are the classic textbook example β different calls for different predators.