Communication under sexual selection hypotheses: challenging prospects for future studies under extreme sexual conflict

Abstract

Animal communication has been the target ofmultiple and controversial theoretical and experimentalstudies. Inter-sexual communication has been consideredessential for specific identification and as a mechanism formate choice. Communication has been re-interpreted as away for exploitation, taking advantage of pre-existentsensory biases. Both female choice and sensory exploitationhypotheses have assumed the clear existence of inter-sexualcommunication prior to mating. On the contrary, extremesexual conflict hypotheses would not recognize the existenceof communication among the sexes. We surveyed thepercentage of studies involving communication underfemale choice, sensory exploitation and extreme sexualconflict contexts. We discuss the traditional idea that forcedcopulations are considered synonymous of the absence ofcommunication among the sexes. We provide suggestionsfor future studies on communication under extreme sexualconflict.