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Updated: May 17, 2026
08:19
Asymmetric Walkway: A Novel Behavioral Assay for Studying Asymmetric Locomotion
Published on: January 15, 2016
Aposematism and the handicap principle.
Øistein Haugsten Holen1, Thomas Owens Svennungsen
1Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway. o.h.holen@bio.uio.no
The American Naturalist
|October 17, 2012
Summary
Warning signals in prey can be honest if signaling is costly. The "go-slow" and "resource allocation" mechanisms support honest signaling, influencing predator-prey interactions and prey survival rates.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Animal Behavior
- Game Theory
Background:
- Aposematic prey use warning signals to indicate defenses.
- Automimicry (poorly defended prey mimicking defended prey) can reduce signal honesty.
- The handicap principle posits that costly signaling maintains signal honesty.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate three proposed mechanisms for honest warning signals under signal costs.
- To analyze the role of predator go-slow behavior, resource allocation trade-offs, and detection costs.
- To unify these mechanisms within a game-theoretical framework.
Main Methods:
- Game-theoretical modeling was employed.
- Analysis focused on differential costs and benefits of signaling.
- Investigated conditions supporting honest signaling equilibria.
Main Results:
- The 'go-slow' mechanism supports honest signaling via differential benefits.
- The 'resource allocation' mechanism supports honest signaling via differential costs.
- The 'detection cost' mechanism has limited potential for maintaining honest signaling.
Conclusions:
- Honest warning signals can be maintained by specific signal costs.
- The 'go-slow' mechanism leads to more attacks on conspicuous prey.
- The 'resource allocation' mechanism leads to more attacks on cryptic prey.
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