Data from: Receiver perception predicts species divergence in long-range communication

The design of animal signals is believed to reflect the combined effect of the sensory system of receivers, the type of environment in which communication is being conducted, and the distance signals must travel in that environment. While empirical studies have examined how each of these factors might separately explain the structure of signals used by animals within species, comparative evidence supporting the predicted interaction of the sensory system, environment and transmission range in the generation of species differences in communication is lacking. I studied the long-range visual displays used by male Caribbean Anolis lizards to advertise territory ownership. The type of movements included in advertisement displays was closely predicted by the motion detection capabilities of the visual system for a given distance and the compounding affects of environmental conditions at the time of display production. Furthermore, the motion detection of Anolis receivers predicted almost precisely the type of movements included in advertisement displays among closely related species from two separate island radiations. My study provides rare comparative evidence illustrating how the sensory system of receivers sets the minimum requirements for what constitutes an effective signal, given the transmission distance of signals, with further variance in signal structure resulting from the environmental conditions occurring at the time of communication.

学界普遍认为，动物信号的设计体现了接收者感官系统、信号交流所处环境类型，以及信号在该环境中传播距离三者的综合影响。尽管已有实证研究探讨了上述三类因素各自如何解释物种内部动物所使用信号的结构，但目前仍缺乏能够支撑以下预测的比较性证据：即感官系统、环境与传播范围三者的交互作用，会导致不同物种在交流模式上产生差异。本研究聚焦于加勒比海安乐蜥（Anolis）雄性个体用于宣示领地所有权的长距离视觉展示行为。广告展示中所包含的运动类型，可由特定传播距离下的视觉系统运动检测能力，以及展示发生时环境条件的复合效应进行精准预测。此外，安乐蜥接收者的运动检测能力，几乎可以精准预测来自两个独立岛屿辐射演化支系的近缘物种间广告展示的运动类型。本研究提供了罕见的比较性证据，阐明了在考虑信号传播距离的前提下，接收者的感官系统如何为有效信号设定最低标准，而信号结构的进一步差异则由交流发生时的环境条件所决定。