Categorical perception of a natural, multivariate signal: Mating call recognition in túngara frogs

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0802201105
• Publication Date: 2008-06-25T02:38:38Z
• Authors: A. T. Baugh; K. L. Akre; M. J. Ryan
• Keywords: Categorical Perception; Variation (astronomy); Categorical variable; Animal communication; Vocal communication

Categorical perception is common in humans, but it not known whether animals perceive continuous variation their own multidimensional social signals categorically. There are two components to categorical perception: labeling and discrimination. In the first, continuously variable stimuli on each side of a category boundary labeled. second, there strong discrimination between from opposite sides boundary, whereas same discriminated. Here, we show that female túngara frogs respond categorically complex mating calls vary simultaneously along multiple dimensions within natural range signal variation. response transect synthetic varied systematically seven dimensions, label as either conspecific or conspecific. For pairs differed by magnitude, females discriminate those different categories category. addition, latency was significantly shorter when were versus categories. Because responses critical generating species recognition sexual selection, this finding has implications for both animal influences mate choice tempo mode evolution.