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Mimicking the Function of Signaling Proteins: Toward Artificial Signal Transduction Therapy
Published on: September 29, 2016
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Signalling of information that is neither cryptic nor private.
1Department of Applied Mathematics, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
|February 10, 2017
Summary
Animal signals can be advantageous even when information is public, not private. Signalling can increase information transmission efficiency, benefiting both signalers and receivers.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Animal communication
- Behavioral ecology
Background:
- Animal signals are often assumed to convey private or cryptic information.
- This study challenges the assumption that signals must be private to be advantageous.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and formalize a scenario where signalling public information provides an advantage.
- To investigate the conditions under which signalling of public information is favored by natural selection.
Main Methods:
- A game-theoretic model was developed to simulate parent-offspring interactions.
- The model analyzed a parent's decision to invest in one of two offspring based on signals and public cues.
- Offspring signal their condition to influence parental investment.
Main Results:
- Signalling can be favored when it transmits information about offspring quality more efficiently than public cues.
- This occurs even if the information is not private, as signalling enhances transmission efficiency.
- Low-cost signalling can be favored by selection under these conditions.
Conclusions:
- The functional role of animal signals may be broader than previously understood.
- Efficiency benefits can explain the evolution of signalling in various biological and economic contexts.
- Public information signalling can be an evolutionarily stable strategy.
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