The evolution of a communication system depends on the existence of individuals which gain from it, that is the senders of the signals and their receivers. These two share a common interest about which they communicate. Common interests of this kind form the basis of the communication between such individuals as a sexual pair, parents and their offspring, and members of a flock or group which feed, roost or breed together. It is less often realised that individuals which are usually regarded as conflicting in their interests — for example, prey and predator, sexual rivals, a parasite and its host — may also share a common interest which may form the basis for the evolution of a communication system between them. Warning coloration, warning calls and other signals which are given by a prey species towards a predator (Smythe, 1970; Alcock, 1975) and also threat display among rivals, are some examples of signals exchanged between individuals which mainly conflict in their interest.
[1]
P. O'donald.
Sexual selection and territorial behaviour
,
1963,
Heredity.
[2]
J. M. Smith,et al.
The Evolution of Alarm Calls
,
1965,
The American Naturalist.
[3]
G. Williams.
Adaptation and Natural Selection. (Book Reviews: Adaptation and Natural Selection: A Critique of Some Current Evolutionary Thought)
,
2018
.
[4]
D. Lack,et al.
Population Studies of Birds
,
1967
.
[5]
N. Smythe.
On the Existence of "Pursuit Invitation" Signals in Mammals
,
1970,
The American Naturalist.
[6]
V. Geist.
Mountain sheep;: A study in behavior and evolution
,
1972
.
[7]
R. Trivers.
Parent-Offspring Conflict
,
1974
.
[8]
John R. Krebs,et al.
The Evolution of Alarm Calls: Altruism or Manipulation?
,
1975,
The American Naturalist.
[9]
A. Zahavi.
Mate selection-a selection for a handicap.
,
1975,
Journal of theoretical biology.