Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.
School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia.
Ecol Lett. 2012 Nov;15(11):1326-1339. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01856.x. Epub 2012 Aug 27.
Individuals are at risk when communicating because conspicuous signals attract both conspecifics and eavesdropping predators. This predation cost of communicating has typically been attributed to signalling individuals because of their conspicuous role, and is a core concept within sexual selection and communication ecology. But, if predators are attracted to signals, then receivers, both intended or otherwise, may also find themselves at risk of predation. Here, we review the theoretical basis and empirical evidence that receiving also carries a risk of predation. We distinguish between the risks of receiving and responding to signals, and we argue that receivers of signals that are long lived, are highly predictable in time or place and/or cannot be received quickly are likely to be at greater risk of predation compared to receivers of signals without these properties. We review recent empirical evidence from a variety of taxa that supports the hypothesis that receivers (including heterospecific prey) are aware of these risks and that they modify their behaviour to balance the risks against the benefits of receiving under predation threat. We also discuss the wider implications of risky receiving for receiving and signalling behaviour in prey, as well as for the prey's predators.
个体在交流时会面临风险，因为显眼的信号既会吸引同种个体，也会吸引偷听的捕食者。这种交流成本通常归因于信号发出者，因为他们的显眼角色是性选择和通讯生态学的核心概念。但是，如果捕食者被信号吸引，那么接收者，无论是有意还是无意的，也可能面临捕食的风险。在这里，我们回顾了接收也会带来捕食风险的理论基础和经验证据。我们区分了接收和对信号做出反应的风险，我们认为，与没有这些特性的信号接收者相比，接收寿命长、在时间或地点上高度可预测且/或无法快速接收的信号的接收者，更有可能面临捕食的风险。我们回顾了来自各种分类群的最新实证证据，这些证据支持了这样一种假设，即接收者（包括异性猎物）意识到这些风险，并根据捕食威胁下的收益和风险来调整它们的行为。我们还讨论了对于猎物的接收和信号行为以及对于猎物的捕食者来说，这种有风险的接收的更广泛影响。
