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Zigzag Display

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Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior

Synonyms

Attraction; Avoidance; Disruptive; Evasion; Zigzag

Definition

Zigzag display includes a series of short, sharp turns, angles, or alterations in a course or direction involved in several survival and reproductive behaviors.

Introduction

Zigzag display is a goal-oriented behavior, which facilitates predator avoidance and mate attraction for some species. As a strategy, zigzag display has been shown to enhance survival and reproductive success, ultimately leading to fitness benefits for a species.

Breeding Behavior

Zigzag display is evident in males of several species as a means to demonstrate quality as a potential mate. These body movements are an important determination in individual reproductive success. Most of the species exhibiting this strategy develop elaborate dance-like behaviors that include sharp or zigzag movements to signal courtship. The three-spine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a fish species native to northern coastal waters, uses zigzag display as a...

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Correspondence to Kristine O. Evans .

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Redd, M., Evans, K.O. (2019). Zigzag Display. In: Vonk, J., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1982-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1982-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-47829-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-47829-6

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