Deception and the origin of honest signals.
Deceptive signals are a challenge to explain because on average, signals should be reliable. When being deceived is costly to the receiver, a coevolutionary struggle between senders and receivers can ensue. Recent work by Macías Garcia and Ramirez raises the intriguing possibility that through such a coevolutionary process, cheats can become honest.
Stuart-Fox
Devi
D
School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa. devi@gecko.biol.wits.ac.za