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The truthful signalling hypothesis: an explicit general equilibrium model.

Kjell Hausken1, Jack Hirshleifer

  • 1School of Economics, Culture and Social Sciences, University of Stavanger, P.O. Box 8002, Stavanger N-4068, Norway. kjell.hausken@oks.his.no

Journal of Theoretical Biology
|June 5, 2004
PubMed
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The truthful signalling hypothesis (TSH) suggests males signal quality to females, but TSH equilibria depend on specific conditions. Equilibria validating TSH can fail if quality disparities or the proportion of high-quality males are too great.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Game Theory

Background:

  • The truthful signalling hypothesis (TSH), or handicap principle, posits that only high-quality males signal truthfully in mating competition.
  • Females are assumed to prefer mating with males exhibiting higher-quality signals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the conditions under which the truthful signalling hypothesis (TSH) is validated.
  • To explore factors influencing the stability and potential failure of TSH equilibria.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a Mating Success Function to model female choice based on male signalling levels.
  • Incorporated a congestion function to prevent exclusive mating with high-quality males.
  • Utilized a Malthusian condition for population size regulation.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Employed analytic solutions and numerical simulations.

    • Main Results:

    • TSH equilibria are achievable across a broad parameter range but are not universal.
    • High-quality males do not strictly require lower per-unit signalling costs for TSH.
    • TSH equilibria can fail due to excessive quality disparity, high proportions of high-quality males, or weak congestion effects.
    • Signalling traits may evolve from useful indicators to handicaps through male-male competition.

    Conclusions:

    • The validity of the truthful signalling hypothesis is contingent on a complex interplay of factors, including signalling costs, population structure, and female choice mechanisms.
    • Understanding these conditions is crucial for explaining the evolution of honest signalling in sexual selection.
    • The initial utility of a signalling trait can drive its evolution into a handicap, validating the TSH.