A high frequency of rapid predator approach to broadcast fear screams supports the predator attraction hypothesis in explaining the function of screaming. A high incidence of screaming in prey species that are relatively large in relation to their main predators and live in densely vegetated habitats is concordant with this view. Contrary to earlier reports, I therefore conclude that fear screaming is a nonaltruistic phenomenon and that it is not maintained through kin selection.
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Göran Högstedt (1983) studied this question.
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