By Susan Milius
If the spots on the face of a female paper wasp don’t look appropriate for her rank, another female gets extra aggressive, according to a new study of wasp fights.
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“It’s the most conclusive evidence yet that honest visual signalers are accepted and cheaters are punished,” says Elizabeth Tibbetts of the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Biologists have linked various animal markings, such as a dark patch of bird feathers, to status. These badges signal winning or losing characteristics, such as dominance. But if such badges aren’t metabolically costly for animals to produce, why don’t fake badges evolve that give milquetoasts the appearance of higher status?