Social Behaviour in Animals: With Special Reference to Vertebrates

by Niko Tinbergen

HIS book is not intended as an exhaustive review T f facts. I ts aim is rather the presentation of a bio­ logical approach to the phenomena of social behaviour. This type of approach was revived by Lorenz's pioneer stnJies. It is characterized by emphasis on the need for renewed and careful observation of the huge variety of social phenomena occurring in nature; by emphasis on a balanced study of the three main biological problems­ (unction, causation, evolution; by emphasis on an appro­ priate sequence of description, qualitative analysis, quanti­ tative analysis; and finally by emphasis on the need for continuous re-synthesis. The character of this approach, combined with the limitations of space, have determined this book's contents. Limits of space led to the omission of a great deal of de scrip­ tion. Thus, Deegener's voluminous work on the multitude of types of animal aggregations has not been discussed. Also, the highly specialized 'states' of social insects have not been treated in detail, since there are excellent books dealing exclusively with them.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

161 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 1965

About the author

Nikolaas "Niko" Tinbergen FRS[1] (/ˈtɪnbɜːrɡən/ TIN-bur-gən, Dutch: [ˈnikoː(laːs) ˈtɪmbɛrɣə(n)]; 15 April 1907 – 21 December 1988) was a Dutch biologist and ornithologist who shared the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Karl von Frisch and Konrad Lorenz[7][8][9][10][11] for their discoveries concerning the organization and elicitation of individual and social behavior patterns in animals. He is regarded as one of the founders of modern ethology, the study of animal behavior.

Reviews

[tex · Rating 3 out of 5]

should’ve been called social behavior of mostly birds and fish. so incredibly dated people just don’t write monographs like they used to. shoutout to the three-spine stickleback. i liked when he called a herring gull a “degenerate.” also “many childless women develop a curious ambivalent attitude towards their own husbands and make them play the double role of mate and child” …HUH?

[Usfromdk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ethology has come a long way since Tinbergen wrote this book, but that's because of the work of people like Tinbergen. A nice book, though some parts of it have aged better than others. Despite being a serious work of non-fiction, some of the animal experiments described in the book (sticklebacks, herring gull, woodpeckers...) made me smile or chuckle.

The book is more of a 'look back in time' than it is a classical ethology textbook, but it's definitely worth reading if you have some interest in animal behaviour. The book is easy to read and you do not need a background in biology to follow the coverage.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nikolaas Tinbergen was one of the major figures in the development of ethology, the study of animal behavior. This is one of his earlier and most important works, studying the social behavior of animals. Later, he was a winner of a Nobel Prize.

This book begins by identifying social behavior as an important focus of study. Its aim is (page v): “. . .the presentation of a biological approach to the phenomena of social behaviour.” Emphases? The behavior of animals in nature, studied via observation; the focus on three issues regarding that behavior—function of the behavior (survival value), causation, and evolution.

The book proceeds as follows: The first chapter defines social behavior and its importance, using a series of examples (e.g., the three-spined stickleback fish). After that, chapters consider the following aspects of social behavior—mating, family and group life, fighting, social co-operation, interspecies relationships, growth of social organization. The book concludes by considering evolutionary aspects of social organization, with an emphasis on using comparative methods. The last chapter suggests areas for future research.

As stated, nothing much new here—except that this was a pioneering work that set the stage for future and more sophisticated analyses. It deserves its status as a classic.

[Ree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me asombra el ingenio y el rigor científico con el que se describen diversos experimentos relacionados con la conducta social de distintas especies de vertebrados. El libro está escrito en un lenguaje comprensible para aquellos que como yo no son expertos en la etología y que sin embargo tienen interés por conocer más sobre esta disciplina. Los ejemplos se fundamentan en especial en las gaviotas arenqueras y los peces espino, defendiendo la tesis sobre conductas innatas, su rol en la adaptación de las especies y los posibles aspectos evolutivos de las mismas.

Aunque he leido que se encuentra un poco anticuado con respecto de nuevos aportes en el campo, me parece un buen texto introductorio.

[Omi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although a bit outdated this book is a must-read for budding Ethologists.