Is it safe? Red-eyed treefrog embryos assessing predation risk use two features of rain vibrations to avoid false alarms

摘要: Prey use predator cues to inform defensive decisions. Detecting these is often complicated by benign stimuli that resemble and can be mistaken for predators, leading prey display costly defences incorrectly. One strategy have evolved reduce ‘false alarms’ respond only with characteristics consistent cues. Decision errors might still frequent, however, in cases where the probability distributions of stimulus properties completely overlap those In such cases, inhibition responses characteristic features could further improve discrimination. Red-eyed treefrog embryos, Agalychnis callidryas, hatch prematurely escape egg predators. They detect predators using vibrations generated during attacks. However, common disturbances as rainstorms generate property largely We used vibration playbacks test hypotheses embryos two rainstorm not shared attacks, high frequencies an initial period intensity buildup, avoid hatching response this stimulus. The escape-hatching otherwise stimulatory reduced presence either feature rainstorms. Either A. callidryas their decision or alter perception Identifying likely sources potential false alarms comparing rules will our understanding both information processing challenges facing ways they solve them.