ZahaviHandicapPrinciple
ThoughtStorms Wiki
Zahavi's theory as to why evolved signals (eg. about fitness, dominance etc.) are honest.
When signals have no cost to make, and no cost to cheating, then the signal system collapses. Only signals that have a cost are preserved.
See http://octavia.zoology.washington.edu/handicap/handicap_principle.html
Classic example : the peacock's tail in evolutionary theory. Because longer tails are unweildy, having one is a handicap to the peacock which has it. For this reason, only very fit peacocks can afford the cost of the longest.
Criticism
Apparently the original handicap model is wrong
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