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Title: The Behavior of Animals: Mechanisms, Function And Evolution
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Manufacturer: Wiley-Blackwell
List Price: $87.95
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| The Behavior of Animals: Mechanisms, Function And Evolution by Wiley-Blackwell Strong introduction to animal behavior | The field of animal behavior has continued to develop. The time appears to be gone when one person can write a book that encompasses the discipline. Robert Hinde did so in his 1970 work, Animal Behaviour. However, this work is an edited volume, with a variety of experts delving in detail into various key issues related to animal behavior. This volume wisely uses Niko Tinbergen's famous "four questions" formulation as the takeoff point. Tinbergen, a Nobel laureate, asserted that for a complete understanding of behavior, we had to answer four questions: causation, development, function, and evolution of the behavior.
The first chapter is a nice introduction to the history of the study of animal behavior (another term often used for this discipline is ethology). Some key points: the importance of studying the central nervous system of species, of being aware of behavioral ecology, and cognitive ecology .
The next section, Part I, explores mechanisms of behavior. Among subjects considered in this section: motivation (a chapter authored by Jerry Hogan), the development of behavior (Johan Bolhuis), animal cognition (Nathan Emery and Nicola Clayton). An example in more detail. . . . In the 1950s, there was debate between classical ethologists such as Konrad Lorenz (who spoke of the importance of instinct) and those who emphasized the developmental aspect of behavior (e.g., T. C. Schneirla and Dan Lehrman). Over time, these two schools came to a rapprochement. Indeed, Tinbergen began with three questions and only after the interaction with developmentalists did he add "development " as one of his questions. And with that addition, the study of animal behavior (or ethology) took a "great leap forward."
Part II considers the function and evolution of behavior. That is: What is the survival value of particular behaviors? How did those behaviors evolve? The chapters cover a set of key issues: the function of behavior (Luc-Alain Giraldeau), communication (Peter McGregor), mate choice and sexual selection (Mark Elgar), evolution of behavior (Michael Ryan), and social systems (Anne Pusey). One key chapter is Pusey's which examines the basis for social systems. Some species tend to live solitary lives, but others develop social systems as a part of their adaptive strategies. Certainly, humans are a social species. Hence, this chapter is of value in placing human evolution in a larger context. Key issues considered include why cooperation has developed among social species.
Part III concludes this volume. There are useful chapters on animal welfare and animal conservation. However, perhaps the most intriguing chapter in this section is the final one, entitled "Human Behavior as Animal Behavior" (authored by the esteemed team of Martin Daly and Margo Wilson). They consider some issues that must be considered if thinking that humans are simply one more animal species, including human culture, ethical issues in experimenting with humans, the role of human language. One the other hand, they conclude that humans are, nonetheless, products of the evolutionary process.
For those interested in animal behavior, this is a terrific place to begin to learn about the subject. I would recommend this volume most highly.
| | The Behavior of Animals: Mechanisms, Function And Evolution by Wiley-Blackwell Behavioural biology has come of age | With so many new animal behaviour textbooks coming onto the market, we seem
to be spoilt for choice. I really enjoyed reading this one, however. Unlike
all the other ethology textbooks that I know of, this one is edited, so you
dont just get one particular point of view. Despite this, there are no
great differences in style between the different chapters, which makes this
book very readable. On the one hand, there is some kind of historical
continuity, as the book is firmly based on Tinbergens `four whys. On the
other hand, this book has a very modern feel to it, with plenty of space
given to topics such as neuroscience, cognition, animal welfare and
conservation biology. The reference list is up to date and there is plenty
of cross-referencing within the book. Also, the book has a very useful
glossary. This is an excellent book for undergraduate animal behaviour
courses, but it is also a very good read for lecturers and researchers in
this field. | | The Behavior of Animals: Mechanisms, Function And Evolution by Wiley-Blackwell A great new animal behavior textbook | | This is the textbook that the field of animal behavior has been waiting for. Because this is an edited volume, with experts in the various disciplines having written the chapters, there is no bias towards e.g. an evolutionary or mechanistic approach. There is a remarkable unity of style, despite the diverse collection of authors. The chapters are very accessible and convey an enormous enthusiasm for the study of animal behavior. This is the most comprehensive animal behavior textbook that I know, with topics ranging from neuroscience and biological rhythms to sexual selection and animal welfare. This is likely to be the leading textbook for some time to come. | | The Behavior of Animals: Mechanisms, Function And Evolution by Wiley-Blackwell Product Description | This wide-ranging textbook provides a broad overview of the current state of animal behavior studies.
- An ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in biology, experimental psychology and neuroscience.
- Comprises a series of contributions from international experts.
- Represents a diverse set of approaches to animal behavior.
- Ranges across the subject all levels, from molecules and neurons to individuals and populations.
- Draws on the work of the pioneering Dutch ethologist, Niko Tinbergen.
- Addresses all four of Tinbergen’s key questions: causation, development, function, and evolution.
- Deals with contemporary subjects, such as animal welfare, conservation, neurobiology, and animal cognition.
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