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Alarm calls may signal the presence of a predator, creating confusion and reducing the threat of predation.
Introduction
Group living increases the likelihood that predators will be detected through cooperative vigilance. This social structure is particularly beneficial if individuals can alert others to potential threats as soon as these are detected. Hence, alarm calls are evident in a numerous group living species across a range of taxa including fish, birds, and mammals (e.g., Bessey and Heithaus 2013). These alarm calls may convey a range of important information such as predator type or location through varying the number or rate of calls, amending the intensity or volume of call, or generating calls that are qualitatively different (Zuberbuhler 2000). It has been suggested that those signaling the presence of a predator may be at increased risk of detection by predators. The present entry outlines the manner in which alarm calling may...
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References
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Brewer, G. (2016). Alarm Call Creates Confusion. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1517-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1517-1
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