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The Behavior of Animals: Mechanisms, Function, and Evolution
The Behavior of Animals An updated view of animal behavior studies, featuring global experts
The Behavior of Animals, Second Edition provides a broad overview of the current state of animal behavior studies with contributions from international experts. This edition includes new chapters on hormones and behavior, individuality, and human evolution. All chapters have been thoroughly revised and updated, and are supported by color illustrations, informative callouts, and accessible presentation of technical information.
Provides an introduction to the study of animal behavior Looks at an extensive scope of topics- from perception, motivation and emotion, biological rhythms, and animal learning to animal cognition, communication, mate choice, and individuality. Explores the evolution of animal behavior including a critical evaluation of the assumption that human beings can be studied as if they were any other animal species. Students will benefit from an updated textbook in which a variety of contributors provide their expertise and global perspective in specialized areas
The Behavior of Animals, Second Edition provides a broad overview of the current state of animal behavior studies with contributions from international experts. This edition includes new chapters on hormones and behavior, individuality, and human evolution. All chapters have been thoroughly revised and updated, and are supported by color illustrations, informative callouts, and accessible presentation of technical information.
Provides an introduction to the study of animal behavior Looks at an extensive scope of topics- from perception, motivation and emotion, biological rhythms, and animal learning to animal cognition, communication, mate choice, and individuality. Explores the evolution of animal behavior including a critical evaluation of the assumption that human beings can be studied as if they were any other animal species. Students will benefit from an updated textbook in which a variety of contributors provide their expertise and global perspective in specialized areas
- GenresAnimals
528 pages, Paperback
First published December 27, 2004
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December 8, 2009
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 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.
Displaying 1 of 1 review