Why are most animal signals reliable ? This is the central problem for evolutionary biologists interested in signals. A number of theoretical answers have been proposed and empirical studies made, but a considerable amount of confusion still remains. The authors, one a theoretician the other a fieldworker, introduce a sense of order to this chaos. They disentangle the complex and often confusing terminology that characterises the subject, and then challenge the widely held assumption that there is only one correct explanation for signal reliability. The authors argue that the reliability of signals is maintained in several ways, relevant in different circumstances, and that biologists must learn to distinguish between them. In this book, they explain the different theories, give examples of signalling systems to which one or another theory applies, and point to the many areas where further work, both theoretical and empirical, is required.

Animal signals

In this fascinating book, John Maynard Smith and Eörs Szathmary present an original picture of evolution. They propose that during evolution there have been a number of major transitions in the way in which information is passed between generations. These transitions include appearance of the first replicating molecules, the emergence of co-operative animal societies, and the unique language ability of humans. Containing many new ideas, this book is contemporary biology on e grandest scale, from the birth of life to the origin of language.
'The writing is clear, jargon-free and a pleasure to read. If ever a scientific book
merited the hackneyed novel-descriptor "unputdownable", this is it.'
Heredity

Livres