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Noise matters: The evolution of communication
Animal Behaviour 119 (2016) 17
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Animal Behaviour journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/anbehav
Book review Noise matters: The evolution of communication, R. Haven Wiley. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press (2015). Pp. xiþ502. Price $45.00 hardback. Noise is ubiquitous in the natural environment. It constitutes a major factor in the evolution of animal acoustic communication. This not only applies to naturally noisy environments (e.g., shore lines with breaking waves, or a deciduous wood with rustling leaves on a windy day); noise pollution is getting increasingly important in environments characterized by human activities. Especially near roads with high traffic, noise can limit communication and reduce the suitability of habitats for reproduction. Thus, also today the hearing systems of receivers and the sound production of senders are constantly evolving to cope with the noise in the evolution of communication (see also Brumm & Slabbekoorn, 2005). R. Haven Wiley, an expert on acoustic communication in birds, has provided the reader with a broad coverage of the evolution of communication in noisy environments. Not only does he summarize his seminal work on the production, transmission and percepsume on tion of sound in the natural environment, he also gives a re his application of signal detection theory to the evolution of communication signals (see also Wiley, 2006), which he develops further in the book. Signal detection theory provides the framework to the understanding of the evolution of signaling. This approach is not limited to communication in the context of territorial signals or alarm calls. Wiley goes far beyond in discussing the evolution of signals with respect to joint optimization of senders and receivers looking at the payoffs for both for communicating in specific ways. The approach of using signal detection theory predicts that optimal evolutionary solutions in such an interaction may result in joint optima for signalers and receivers. If such joint optima evolve, these can result in honest communication, especially with respect to sexual selection, in which the individuals of one sex (usually the females) choosing among the members of the other sex rely on an honest representation of the characteristics of the potential mating partner. Both senders can exaggerate the signals and receivers may increasingly invest in neuronal computational mechanisms. However, both experience the law of diminishing
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.04.010 0003-3472
returns in their investment. This limitation will result in more honest communication, foster cooperation between sender and receiver, and constrain the recognition of individuals in complex societies. Wiley takes a new perspective on issues that go far beyond the current treatment of the evolution of communication in behavioural ecology. In the final part of his book, he focusses on the interaction between human subjects in communication and the evolution of language. He touches upon the issues of truth in language, translation and the subjectivity and self awareness in human communicators. In the end, he applies his approach to the question of how knowledge is acquired and how a consensus is reached in the scientific community. Who are the addressees of the book? Readers interested in the evolution of animal communication with a background in biology, psychology or philosophy will find an in-depth coverage of the relevant issues for the evolution of signaling and perception, such as the constraints resulting from the laws of physics affecting signal generation, perception and transmission (e.g., Brumm & Naguib, 2009) and the constraints related to the unescapable noise (i.e., noise matters). The theoretical framework provided by signal detection theory supports the understanding of the evolutionary processes. If the main interest of the reader, however, is in applied environmental sciences when focusing on the issue of noise, the book provides little practical guidance. Georg M. Klump, Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all Animal Physiology and Behavior Group, Department for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University e Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany E-mail address: [email protected].
References Brumm, H., & Slabbekoorn, H. (2005). Acoustic communication in noise. Advances in the Study of Behavior, 35, 151e209. Brumm, H., & Naguib, M. (2009). Environmental acoustics and the evolution of bird song. Advances in the Study of Behavior, 40, 1e33. Wiley, R. H. (2006). Signal detection and animal communication. Advances in the Study of Behavior, 36, 217e247.
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Animal Behaviour journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/anbehav
Book review Noise matters: The evolution of communication, R. Haven Wiley. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press (2015). Pp. xiþ502. Price $45.00 hardback. Noise is ubiquitous in the natural environment. It constitutes a major factor in the evolution of animal acoustic communication. This not only applies to naturally noisy environments (e.g., shore lines with breaking waves, or a deciduous wood with rustling leaves on a windy day); noise pollution is getting increasingly important in environments characterized by human activities. Especially near roads with high traffic, noise can limit communication and reduce the suitability of habitats for reproduction. Thus, also today the hearing systems of receivers and the sound production of senders are constantly evolving to cope with the noise in the evolution of communication (see also Brumm & Slabbekoorn, 2005). R. Haven Wiley, an expert on acoustic communication in birds, has provided the reader with a broad coverage of the evolution of communication in noisy environments. Not only does he summarize his seminal work on the production, transmission and percepsume on tion of sound in the natural environment, he also gives a re his application of signal detection theory to the evolution of communication signals (see also Wiley, 2006), which he develops further in the book. Signal detection theory provides the framework to the understanding of the evolution of signaling. This approach is not limited to communication in the context of territorial signals or alarm calls. Wiley goes far beyond in discussing the evolution of signals with respect to joint optimization of senders and receivers looking at the payoffs for both for communicating in specific ways. The approach of using signal detection theory predicts that optimal evolutionary solutions in such an interaction may result in joint optima for signalers and receivers. If such joint optima evolve, these can result in honest communication, especially with respect to sexual selection, in which the individuals of one sex (usually the females) choosing among the members of the other sex rely on an honest representation of the characteristics of the potential mating partner. Both senders can exaggerate the signals and receivers may increasingly invest in neuronal computational mechanisms. However, both experience the law of diminishing
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.04.010 0003-3472
returns in their investment. This limitation will result in more honest communication, foster cooperation between sender and receiver, and constrain the recognition of individuals in complex societies. Wiley takes a new perspective on issues that go far beyond the current treatment of the evolution of communication in behavioural ecology. In the final part of his book, he focusses on the interaction between human subjects in communication and the evolution of language. He touches upon the issues of truth in language, translation and the subjectivity and self awareness in human communicators. In the end, he applies his approach to the question of how knowledge is acquired and how a consensus is reached in the scientific community. Who are the addressees of the book? Readers interested in the evolution of animal communication with a background in biology, psychology or philosophy will find an in-depth coverage of the relevant issues for the evolution of signaling and perception, such as the constraints resulting from the laws of physics affecting signal generation, perception and transmission (e.g., Brumm & Naguib, 2009) and the constraints related to the unescapable noise (i.e., noise matters). The theoretical framework provided by signal detection theory supports the understanding of the evolutionary processes. If the main interest of the reader, however, is in applied environmental sciences when focusing on the issue of noise, the book provides little practical guidance. Georg M. Klump, Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all Animal Physiology and Behavior Group, Department for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University e Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany E-mail address: [email protected].
References Brumm, H., & Slabbekoorn, H. (2005). Acoustic communication in noise. Advances in the Study of Behavior, 35, 151e209. Brumm, H., & Naguib, M. (2009). Environmental acoustics and the evolution of bird song. Advances in the Study of Behavior, 40, 1e33. Wiley, R. H. (2006). Signal detection and animal communication. Advances in the Study of Behavior, 36, 217e247.