Why does a young vervet monkey sometimes issue an 'eagle' alarm call upon seeing a harmless bird, unlike its experienced elders?

💡 Explanation

The young monkey has not yet refined its association between the 'eagle' alarm call and the specific visual features of genuine eagles; the incomplete referential signal learning means it overgeneralizes the alarm, because it has not yet constrained its use to the appropriate context. Therefore, it alarms at harmless birds, rather than correctly identifying threats.

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