Animal Communication & Cognition: Principles, Evolution & Development

Visual signals that are designed for effective communication are complex. Over the years, researchers interested in the study of animal communication have employed various artificial stimuli during behavioural experiments to precisely control what the observers get to see or experience. These diverse techniques to stage animal interactions have offered an alternative to the traditional experimental methods relying on the use of live companions or demonstrators. This book begins with a discussion on computer-animated stimuli to investigate visual communication in lizards. It then discusses the pretend play in signing chimpanzees; the evolution of TRP channels as mediators of pheromone signalling; and the role of cuticular hydrocarbon-based chemical communication in prezygotic reproductive isolation.