Computer-Animated Stimuli to Investigate Lizard Visual Communication: A Case Study in the Jacky Dragon

摘要

Visual signals that are designed for effective communication are complex. Over the years, researchers interested in the study of animal communication have employed various artificial stimuli during behavioral experiments to precisely control what the observers get to see or experience. These diverse techniques to stage animal interactions have offered an alternative to the traditional experimental methods relying on the use of live companions or demonstrators. Current technological advances allow researchers to develop realistic computer-animated stimuli of social partners with high degree of fidelity for both morphological and dynamic behavioral characteristics. Because the computer-generated animation technique offers researchers with the ability to produce standardized visual stimuli while reducing the variable behavior of demonstrators across experimental sessions, its used is becoming increasingly popular in behavioral experiments in various taxa. In the following chapter, we provide an appraisal of the computer-generated animations efficiency to stage social interactions in lizards in general and the Jacky dragon (Amphibolurus muricatus) in particular. We present relevant experimental studies in which this innovative technique has been employed to simulate social partners in the Jacky dragon to address diverse ecological important questions. In addition, we consider the future of video and animation playback in the study of lizard's communication.