Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The rise and fall of handicap principle: a commentary on the “Modelling and the fall and rise of the handicap principle”

  • Published:
Biology & Philosophy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The honesty of animal communication is in the spot lights in the last 30 years. During most of this time the field was dominated by one explanation: Zahavi’s handicap principle (Zahavi, J Theor Biol 67:603–605, 1975; Grafen, J Theor Biol 144:517–546, 1990). Grose (Biol Philos 2011) embarks to explain both the success of the theory and the empirical difficulties that exist despite this success. While I wholeheartedly agree with the criticism offered by Grose and with almost all the claims he makes, the treatment of the issue is far from complete and it still leaves much to be explained. Accordingly, my commentary consist of six sections: in the first section I clear up some technical issues left unexposed, most importantly the role of strategic cost in handicap signalling; in the second section I relate this to empirical testing; in the next section I comment on the historical development of the handicap principle; in the fourth section I review the biological models that came up with conclusions that contradict the handicap principle; in the fifth section I discuss the reasons behind the success of the handicap theory; finally, in the last section I discuss the application of the handicap theory to anthropology and human sciences.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bergstrom C, Lachmann M (1998) Signaling among relatives. III. Talk is cheap. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95:5100–5105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergstrom CT, Számadó S, Lachmann M (2002) Separating equilibria in continuous signalling games. Phi Trans R Soc Lond B 357:1595–1606

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bro-Jorgensen J, Johnstone RA, Evans MR (2007) Uninformative exaggeration of male sexual ornamanets in barn swallows. Curr Biol 17:850–855

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Getty T (1998a) Handicap signalling: when fecundity and viability do not add up. Anim Behav 56:127–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Getty T (1998b) Reliable signalling need not be a handicap. Anim Behav 56:253–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Getty T (2006) Sexually selected signals are not similar to sports handicaps. Trends Ecol Evol 21:83–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Godfray HJC (1991) Signalling of need by offspring to their parents. Nature 352:328–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grafen A (1990) Biological signals as handicaps. J Theor Biol 144:517–546

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grose J (2011) Modelling and the fall and rise of the handicap principle. Biol Phil. doi:10.1007/s10539-011-9275-1

  • Hurd PL (1995) Communication in discrete action-response games. J Theor Biol 174:217–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurd PL (1997) Is signalling of fighting ability costlier for weaker individuals? J Theor Biol 184:83–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnstone RA (1997) The evolution of animal signals. In: Krebs J, Davies N (eds) Behavioural ecology, an evolutionary approach, 4th edn. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, pp 155–178

  • Kotiaho J (2001) Cost of sexual traits: a mismatch between theoretical considerations and empirical evidence. Biol Rev 76:365–376

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krebs JR, Dawkins R (1984) Animal signals: mindreading and manipulation. In: Krebs JR, Davies NB (eds) Behavioural ecology. An evolutionary approach. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, pp 380–402

    Google Scholar 

  • Lachmann M, Számadó S, Bergstrom CT (2001) Cost and conflict in animal signals and human language. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98:13189–131394

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maynard Smith J (1991) Honest signalling: the Philip Sidney game. Anim Behav 42:1034–1035

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maynard Smith J, Harper DGC (1995) Animal signals: models and terminology. J Theor Biol 177:305–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maynard Smith J, Harper DGC (2003) Animal signals. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • McCarty JP (1996) The energetic cost of begging in nestling passerines. Auk 113:178–188

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreno-Rueda G (2007) Is there empirical evidence for the cost of begging? J Ethol 25:215–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oberweger K, Goller F (2001) The metabolic cost of birdsong production. J Exp Biol 204:3379–3388

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts ML, Buchanan KL, Evans MR (2004) Testing the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis: a review of the evidence. Anim Behav 68:227–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Searcy WA, Nowicki S (2005) The evolution of animal communication. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Spence AM (1973) Job market signaling. Quart J Econ 87:355–374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Számadó S (1999) The validity of the handicap principle in discrete action-response games. J Theor Biol 198:593–602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Számadó S (2003) Threat displays are not handicaps. J Theor Biol 211:327–348

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Számadó S (2008) How threat displays work: species-specific fighting techniques, weaponry and proximity risk. Anim Behav 76:1455–1463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Számadó S (2011a) The cost of honesty and the fallacy of the handicap principle. Anim Behav 81:3–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Számadó S (2011b) Long term commitment promotes honest status signalling. Anim Behav. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.04.024

  • Zahavi A (1975) Mate selection—a selection for handicap. J Theor Biol 53:205–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zahavi A (1977) The cost of honesty. J Theor Biol 67:603–605

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zahavi A (2007) Sexual selection, signal selection and the handicap principle. In: Jamieson B (ed) Reproductive biology, phylogeny of birds. Science Publishers Enfield, New Hampshire England

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahavi A (2008) The handicap principle and signalling in collaborative systems. In: d’Ettore P, Hughes DP (eds) Sociobiology of communication. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 1–11

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Zahavi A, Zahavi A (1997) The handicap principle. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. HAS-ELTE Research Group for Theoretical Biology and Ecology, Department of Plant Taxonomy and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány, 1/c, Budapest, 1117, Hungary

    Szabolcs Számadó

Authors
  1. Szabolcs Számadó
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Szabolcs Számadó.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Számadó, S. The rise and fall of handicap principle: a commentary on the “Modelling and the fall and rise of the handicap principle”. Biol Philos 27, 279–286 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-011-9299-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-011-9299-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation