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Definition
Zigzag display includes a series of short, sharp turns, angles, or alterations in a course or direction involved in several survival and reproductive behaviors.
Introduction
Zigzag display is a goal-oriented behavior, which facilitates predator avoidance and mate attraction for some species. As a strategy, zigzag display has been shown to enhance survival and reproductive success, ultimately leading to fitness benefits for a species.
Breeding Behavior
Zigzag display is evident in males of several species as a means to demonstrate quality as a potential mate. These body movements are an important determination in individual reproductive success. Most of the species exhibiting this strategy develop elaborate dance-like behaviors that include sharp or zigzag movements to signal courtship. The three-spine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a fish species native to northern coastal waters, uses zigzag display as a...
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References
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Redd, M., Evans, K.O. (2019). Zigzag Display. In: Vonk, J., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1982-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1982-1
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