Question

Many organisms give an alarm call when a predator nears. This draws attention to the individual producing the call and probably reduces its fitness. How could such an obvious deleterious behavior evolve?

a) Provide an explanation of how kin selection could account for such a behavior.

b) Provide another explanation using strictly natural selection (e.g. not kin selection - how might such a behavior benefit the individual)

Answer 1

a) Kin selection occurs when an animal engages in self-sacrificial behaviour that benefits the genetic fitness of its relatives. Kin selection can help explain a huge range of social interactions and this interacting individuals are more closely related. They show more selfish restraint, more likely to cooperate and show less aggression. Different possibilities arise whenever there is the potential for cooperation or conflict between relatives. For example the ground squirrels are expected to be more likely to give warning calls about the presence of predators, if they are in the presence of close relatives.

b) Alarm signal is an antipredator adaptation in animal communication in the form of signals emitted by social animals in response to danger. Animals have keen senses that help them avoid predators or locate prey. Mimicry is an evolved resemblance between organisms. Mimicry functions to protect a species from predators, making it an antipredator adaptation. There are animals like elephants, dogs and some birds have the ability to give a warning call in the forest to warn about the danger or disaster.