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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Zoology & animal sciences > Animal behaviour
This book describes a powerful and flexible technique for the
modeling of behavior, based on evolutionary principles. The
technique employs stochastic dynamic programming and permits the
analysis of behavioral adaptations wherein organisms respond to
changes in their environment and in their own current physiological
state. Models can be constructed to reflect sequential decisions
concerned simultaneously with foraging, reproduction, predator
avoidance, and other activities.
The authors show how to construct and use dynamic behavioral
models. Part I covers the mathematical background and computer
programming, and then uses a paradigm of foraging under risk of
predation to exemplify the general modeling technique. Part II
consists of five "applied" chapters illustrating the scope of the
dynamic modeling approach. They treat hunting behavior in lions,
reproduction in insects, migrations of aquatic organisms, clutch
size and parental care in birds, and movement of spiders and
raptors. Advanced topics, including the study of dynamic
evolutionarily stable strategies, are discussed in Part III.
An Introduction to Hormones and Behavior explores the ways in which
hormones modulate behavior and vice versa. The volume focuses on
the key principles of the topic and features original readings from
classic studies, as well as more recent research, to provide
students with a holistic understanding of the interplay of hormones
and behavior. The text begins with a chapter dedicated to endocrine
principles and methods, then advances to discuss sexual
differentiation, sex differences, and development. Later chapters
address the distinctive characteristics and differences between
male and female reproduction, as well as male and female parental
behaviors. In the closing chapters, students learn about social
behavior, stress, and how hormones influence human behavior. Each
chapter features prewriting exercises, an introduction to provide
context and background information, select readings, and critical
thinking questions. The revised first edition includes two new
readings, "Testosterone and Cortisol Release among Spanish Soccer
Fans Watching the 2010 World Cup Final" and "Hormones and Sleep."
An Introduction to Hormones and Behavior is an excellent resource
for undergraduate and graduate courses in hormones and behavior,
behavioral endocrinology, and physiological psychology.
Anthrozoology, the study of human-animal interactions (HAIs), has
experienced substantial growth during the past 20 years and it is
now timely to synthesise what we know from empirical evidence about
our relationships with both domesticated and wild animals. Two
principal points of focus have become apparent in much of this
research. One is the realisation that the strength of these
attachments not only has emotional benefits for people, but confers
health benefits as well, such that a whole area has opened up of
using companion animals for therapeutic purposes. The other is the
recognition that the interactions we have with animals have
consequences for their welfare too, and thus impact on their
quality of life. Consequently we now study HAIs in all scenarios in
which animals come into contact with humans, whether as
pets/companions, farm livestock, laboratory animals, animals in
zoos, or in the wild. This topical area of study is of growing
importance for animals in animal management, animal handling,
animal welfare and applied ethology courses, and also for people
within psychology, anthropology and human geography at both the
undergraduate and postgraduate level. It will therefore be of
interest to students, researchers, and animal managers across the
whole spectrum of human-animal contact.
Did you know that dolphins are self-aware, rats love to be tickled
and chimps mourn? Did you know that dogs have extensive
vocabularies and birds practise songs in their sleep? That jays
plan ahead, and a moth remembers its life as a caterpillar? 'Animal
Wise' takes us on a dazzling, surprising, and enlightening
exploration into the minds and emotions of animals, through the
intimate experiences of the scientists who study them.
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Animal Behavior
(Paperback)
Keller Breland, Marian Breland; Introduction by Robert E. Bailey
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R2,248
Discovery Miles 22 480
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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Furry and wide-eyed, lorises and pottos are small, nocturnal
primates inhabiting African, Asian and Southeast Asian tropical and
subtropical forests. Their likeable appearance, combined with their
unusual adaptations - from a marked reduction of the tail to their
mostly slow, deliberate locomotion, powerful grasping and, in some
species, a venomous bite - has led to a significant rise in
research interest in the family Lorisidae over the last decade.
Furthermore, lorises in particular have featured frequently in
international media largely due to illegal trade, for example as
pets. This is the first volume to present a full picture of the
breadth of research being undertaken on lorisids to aid future
studies as well as conservation efforts. Focusing on five key
topics: evolutionary biology, ecomorphology, behavioural ecology,
captive management and conservation, this book is a vital read for
graduate students and researchers in primatology, biological
anthropology, evolutionary biology, animal behaviour and
conservation.
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