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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Zoology & animal sciences > Animal behaviour

The Primate Mind - Built to Connect with Other Minds (Hardcover): Frans B. M. De Waal, Pier Francesco Ferrari The Primate Mind - Built to Connect with Other Minds (Hardcover)
Frans B. M. De Waal, Pier Francesco Ferrari
R1,774 Discovery Miles 17 740 Ships in 18 - 22 working days

Monkey see, monkey do may sound simple, but how an individual perceives and processes the behavior of another is one of the most complex and fascinating questions related to the social life of humans and other primates. In "The Primate Mind," experts from around the world take a bottom-up approach to primate social behavior by investigating how the primate mind connects with other minds and exploring the shared neurological basis for imitation, joint action, cooperative behavior, and empathy.

In the past, there has been a tendency to ask all-or-nothing questions, such as whether primates possess a theory of mind, have self-awareness, or have culture. A bottom-up approach asks, rather, what are the underlying cognitive processes of such capacities, some of which may be rather basic and widespread. Prominent neuroscientists, psychologists, ethologists, and primatologists use methods ranging from developmental psychology to neurophysiology and neuroimaging to explore these evolutionary foundations.

A good example is mirror neurons, first discovered in monkeys but also assumed to be present in humans, that enable a fusing between one s own motor system and the perceived actions of others. This allows individuals to read body language and respond to the emotions of others, interpret their actions and intentions, synchronize and coordinate activities, anticipate the behavior of others, and learn from them. The remarkable social sophistication of primates rests on these basic processes, which are extensively discussed in the pages of this volume.

Primate Sexuality - Comparative Studies of the Prosimians, Monkeys, Apes, and Humans (Hardcover, 2nd Revised edition): Alan F.... Primate Sexuality - Comparative Studies of the Prosimians, Monkeys, Apes, and Humans (Hardcover, 2nd Revised edition)
Alan F. Dixson
R4,226 Discovery Miles 42 260 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Primate Sexuality provides an authoritative and comprehensive synthesis of current research on the evolution and physiological control of sexual behaviour in the primates - prosimians, monkeys, apes, and human beings. This new edition has been fully updated and greatly expanded throughout to incorporate a decade of new research findings. It maintains the depth and scientific rigour of the first edition, and includes a new chapter on human sexuality, written from a comparative perspective. It contains 2600 references, almost 400 figures and photographs, and 73 tables.

Tool Use and Causal Cognition (Hardcover): Teresa McCormack, Christoph Hoerl, Stephen Butterfill Tool Use and Causal Cognition (Hardcover)
Teresa McCormack, Christoph Hoerl, Stephen Butterfill
R2,270 Discovery Miles 22 700 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

What cognitive abilities underpin the use of tools, and how are tools and their properties represented or understood by tool-users? Does the study of tool use provide us with a unique or distinctive source of information about the causal cognition of tool-users? Tool use is a topic of major interest to all those interested in animal cognition, because it implies that the animal has knowledge of the relationship between objects and their effects. There are countless examples of animals developing tools to achieve some goal-chimps sharpening sticks to use as spears, bonobos using sticks to fish for termites, and New Caledonian crows developing complex tools to extracts insects from logs. Studies of tool use have been used to examine an exceptionally wide range of aspects of cognition, such as planning, problem-solving and insight, naive physics, social relationship between action and perception. A key debate in recent research on animal cognition concerns the level of cognitive sophistication that is implied by animal tool use, and developmental psychologists have been addressing related questions regarding the processes through which children acquire the ability to use tools. In neuropsychology, patterns of impairments in tool use due to brain damage, and studies of neural changes associated with tool use, have also led to debates about the different types of cognitive abilities that might underpin tool use, and about how tool use may change the way space or the body is represented. Tool Use and Causal Cognition provides a new interdisciplinary perspective on these issues with contributions from leading psychologists studying tool use and philosophers providing new analyses of the nature of causal understanding A ground-breaking volume which covers several disciplines, this volume will be of interest to psychologists, including animal researchers and developmental psychologists as well as philosophers, and neuroscientists.

Principles of Animal Communication (Hardcover, 2nd ed. 2011): Jack W. Bradbury, Sandra L. Vehrencamp Principles of Animal Communication (Hardcover, 2nd ed. 2011)
Jack W. Bradbury, Sandra L. Vehrencamp
R6,409 Discovery Miles 64 090 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Now with over 90% new citations, the text emphasises the general principles that apply broadly across taxa and modalities. The topics covered range from the physics and physiology of signal production, propagation, and reception, to complications arising when sender and receiver do not have identical interests during communication.

Insects and Society (Paperback): Timothy D. Schowalter Insects and Society (Paperback)
Timothy D. Schowalter
R1,770 Discovery Miles 17 700 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Recommended in CHOICE, February 2021 Insects are all around us, outweighing humanity by 17 times. Many are nuisances; they compete with us for food and carry some of our most devastating diseases. Many common pests have been transported worldwide by humans. Yet, some recent reports suggest dramatic declines in some important groups, such as pollinators and detritivores. Should we care? Yes, we should. Without insect pollinators we'd lose 35% of our global food production; without detritivores, we would be buried in un-decayed refuse. Insects are also critical sources for nutritional, medical and industrial products. A world without insects would seem a very different and unpleasant place. So why do insects inspire such fear and loathing? This concise, full-color text challenges many entrenched perceptions about insect effects on our lives. Beginning with a summary of insect biology and ecology that affect their interactions with other organisms, it goes on to describe the various positive and negative ways in which insects and humans interact. The final chapters describe factors that affect insect abundance and approaches to managing insects that balance their impacts. The first textbook to cater directly to those studying Insect and Society or Insect Ecology modules, this book will also be fascinating reading for anyone interested in learning how insects affect human affairs and in applying more sustainable approaches to "managing" insects. This includes K-12 teachers, undergraduate students, amateur entomologists, conservation practitioners, environmentalists, as well as natural resource managers, land use planners and environmental policy makers.

Principles of Social Evolution (Hardcover): Andrew F.G. Bourke Principles of Social Evolution (Hardcover)
Andrew F.G. Bourke
R4,885 Discovery Miles 48 850 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Living things are organized in a hierarchy of levels. Genes group together in cells, cells group together in organisms, and organisms group together in societies. Even different species form mutualistic partnerships. Throughout the history of life, previously independent units have formed groups that, in time, have come to resemble individuals in their own right. Evolutionary biologists term such events "the major transitions." The process common to them all is social evolution. Each transition occurs only if natural selection favors one unit joining with another in a new kind of group.
This book presents a fresh synthesis of the principles of social evolution that underlie the major transitions, explaining how the basic theory underpinning social evolution - inclusive fitness theory - is central to understanding each event. The book defines the key stages in a major transition, then highlights the shared principles operating at each stage across the transitions as a whole. It addresses in new ways the question of how, once they have arisen, organisms and societies become more individualistic.

Principles of Social Evolution (Paperback): Andrew F.G. Bourke Principles of Social Evolution (Paperback)
Andrew F.G. Bourke
R2,309 Discovery Miles 23 090 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Living things are organized in a hierarchy of levels. Genes group together in cells, cells group together in organisms, and organisms group together in societies. Even different species form mutualistic partnerships. Throughout the history of life, previously independent units have formed groups that, in time, have come to resemble individuals in their own right. Evolutionary biologists term such events "the major transitions." The process common to them all is social evolution. Each transition occurs only if natural selection favors one unit joining with another in a new kind of group.
This book presents a fresh synthesis of the principles of social evolution that underlie the major transitions, explaining how the basic theory underpinning social evolution - inclusive fitness theory - is central to understanding each event. The book defines the key stages in a major transition, then highlights the shared principles operating at each stage across the transitions as a whole. It addresses in new ways the question of how, once they have arisen, organisms and societies become more individualistic.

Comparative Social Evolution (Hardcover): Dustin R. Rubenstein, Patrick Abbot Comparative Social Evolution (Hardcover)
Dustin R. Rubenstein, Patrick Abbot
R2,941 Discovery Miles 29 410 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Darwin famously described special difficulties in explaining social evolution in insects. More than a century later, the evolution of sociality - defined broadly as cooperative group living - remains one of the most intriguing problems in biology. Providing a unique perspective on the study of social evolution, this volume synthesizes the features of animal social life across the principle taxonomic groups in which sociality has evolved. The chapters explore sociality in a range of species, from ants to primates, highlighting key natural and life history data and providing a comparative view across animal societies. In establishing a single framework for a common, trait-based approach towards social synthesis, this volume will enable graduate students and investigators new to the field to systematically compare taxonomic groups and reinvigorate comparative approaches to studying animal social evolution.

Neurogenetics - Current Topics in Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology (Paperback, 1st ed. 2023): Boris Egger Neurogenetics - Current Topics in Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology (Paperback, 1st ed. 2023)
Boris Egger
R1,920 R1,803 Discovery Miles 18 030 Save R117 (6%) Ships in 9 - 17 working days

This textbook provides students with knowledge of neurogenetics, neurogenesis, neuronal specification and function, neuronal networks, learning and memory formation, brain evolution, and neurodegenerative diseases. Students are introduced to topics of classical developmental genetics as well as modern molecular and neurogenetic methods. Using a wealth of examples from current research, the textbook takes a strong applied approach. Using animal models such as Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans as well as mammalian systems, the interrelationships between genes, neurons, nervous systems, and behaviour under normal and pathological conditions are illustrated. The textbook aims encourage students to address biological questions in neurogenetics and to think about the design of their own experiments. It targets primarily master and graduate students in neurobiology, but is also a valuable teaching tool for instructors in these fields.

The Domestic Dog - Its Evolution, Behavior and Interactions with People (Hardcover, 2nd Revised edition): James Serpell The Domestic Dog - Its Evolution, Behavior and Interactions with People (Hardcover, 2nd Revised edition)
James Serpell
R2,859 Discovery Miles 28 590 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Why do dogs behave in the ways that they do? Why did our ancestors tame wolves? How have we ended up with so many breeds of dog, and how can we understand their role in contemporary human society? Explore the answers to these questions and many more in this study of the domestic dog. Building on the strengths of the first edition, this much-anticipated update incorporates two decades of new evidence and discoveries on dog evolution, behavior, training, and human interaction. It includes seven entirely new chapters covering topics such as behavioral modification and training, dog population management, the molecular evidence for dog domestication, canine behavioral genetics, cognition, and the impact of free-roaming dogs on wildlife conservation. It is an ideal volume for anyone interested in dogs and their evolution, behavior and ever-changing roles in society.

Sociobiology of Communication - an interdisciplinary perspective (Hardcover): Patrizia D'Ettorre, David P. Hughes Sociobiology of Communication - an interdisciplinary perspective (Hardcover)
Patrizia D'Ettorre, David P. Hughes
R1,757 Discovery Miles 17 570 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Communication is essential for all forms of social interaction, from parental care to mate choice and cooperation. This is evident for human societies but less obvious for bacterial biofilms, ant colonies or flocks of birds. The major disciplines of communication research have tried to identify common core principles, but syntheses have been few because historical barriers have limited interaction between different research fields.
Sociobiology of Communication is a timely and novel synthesis. It bridges many of the gaps between proximate and ultimate levels of analysis, between empirical model systems, and between biology and the humanities. The book offers the complementary approaches of a distinguished group of authors spanning a large diversity of research programs, addressing, for example, the genetic basis of bacterial communication, dishonest communication in insect societies, sexual selection and network communication among colonial vertebrates. Other chapters explore the role of communication in genomic conflict and self-organisation, and how linguistics, psychology and philosophy may ultimately contribute to a biological understanding of human mate choice and the evolution of human societies.
This highly interdisciplinary book highlights key examples of modern research to explore the genetic, neurobiological, physiological, chemical and behavioural basis of social communication. It identifies where consensus on the general principles is emerging and where the major future challenges are to be found. The book is therefore suitable for both for graduate students and professionals in evolutionary biology and behavioural ecology seeking novel inspiration, and for a wideracademic audience, including social and medical scientists who would like to explore what evolutionary approaches can offer to their fields.

Sociobiology of Communication - an interdisciplinary perspective (Paperback): Patrizia D'Ettorre, David P. Hughes Sociobiology of Communication - an interdisciplinary perspective (Paperback)
Patrizia D'Ettorre, David P. Hughes
R2,383 Discovery Miles 23 830 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Communication is essential for all forms of social interaction, from parental care to mate choice and cooperation. This is evident for human societies but less obvious for bacterial biofilms, ant colonies or flocks of birds. The major disciplines of communication research have tried to identify common core principles, but syntheses have been few because historical barriers have limited interaction between different research fields.
Sociobiology of Communication is a timely and novel synthesis. It bridges many of the gaps between proximate and ultimate levels of analysis, between empirical model systems, and between biology and the humanities. The book offers the complementary approaches of a distinguished group of authors spanning a large diversity of research programs, addressing, for example, the genetic basis of bacterial communication, dishonest communication in insect societies, sexual selection and network communication among colonial vertebrates. Other chapters explore the role of communication in genomic conflict and self-organisation, and how linguistics, psychology and philosophy may ultimately contribute to a biological understanding of human mate choice and the evolution of human societies.
This highly interdisciplinary book highlights key examples of modern research to explore the genetic, neurobiological, physiological, chemical and behavioural basis of social communication. It identifies where consensus on the general principles is emerging and where the major future challenges are to be found. The book is therefore suitable for both for graduate students and professionals in evolutionary biology and behavioural ecology seeking novel inspiration, and for a wideracademic audience, including social and medical scientists who would like to explore what evolutionary approaches can offer to their fields.

Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals (Hardcover): Kristine Coleman, Steven J. Schapiro Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals (Hardcover)
Kristine Coleman, Steven J. Schapiro
R5,589 Discovery Miles 55 890 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Offers the first comprehensive resource to document the particular needs of a given species in captivity. Each species is dealt with by specialists who are fully familiar with their animals, writing to a consistent template to facilitate easy navigation. Each chapter in Part 2 addresses specific species-typical behaviours associated with pain and distress. The third section contains a series of easy reference ethograms that will aid understanding, and potentially quantification of i.e., baboon, bird, or bovine behavior. The book will be useful not only in laboratory settings, but any situation where an animal is kept in captivity, from veterinary clinics to zoos and sanctuaries. Edited by internationally recognized experts in animal behaviour and behavioural management.

Adaptive Behavior and Learning (Paperback, 2nd Revised edition): J.E.R Staddon Adaptive Behavior and Learning (Paperback, 2nd Revised edition)
J.E.R Staddon
R1,431 Discovery Miles 14 310 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Every day at about 4:30, Jazz, a Hungarian Vizsla dog, leaps up on the sofa and looks out for his owner who always comes home at 5:00. He doesn't need an internal clock because he has an acute sense of smell that allows him to measure how long his master has been absent. Explaining complex behavior in simple ways, this book is a fascinating exploration of the evolution, development and processes of learning in animals. Now in its second edition, there is increased emphasis on development, evolution and dynamics; new accounts of taxic orientation, reflex induction, habituation and operant learning in organisms; more discussion of spatial learning and the processes underlying it; expanded chapters on choice and completely new chapters on molar laws, classical conditioning theories and comparative cognition. J. E. R. Staddon provides a definitive summary of contemporary theoretical understanding suitable for graduates and advanced undergraduates.

Kangaroos in Outback Australia - Comparative Ecology and Behavior of Three Coexisting Species (Paperback, New): Dale... Kangaroos in Outback Australia - Comparative Ecology and Behavior of Three Coexisting Species (Paperback, New)
Dale McCullough, Yvette McCullough
R936 Discovery Miles 9 360 Ships in 9 - 17 working days

A topic of perpetual fascination, the kangaroos of Australia have been the focus of myriad books and documentaries. "Kangaroos in Outback Australia" focuses on Yathong Nature Reserve, where three species of kangaroo -- red, eastern grey, and western grey -- overlap and create a unique opportunity for ecological study.

Dale and Yvette McCullough spent fifteen months in Yathong examining the comparative ecology and behavior of the different species. The McCulloughs used systematic counts, radio telemetry, direct observations, and other techniques to characterize and compare the different species' population sizes, home ranges and movements, activity patterns, habitat selection, feeding behavior, and social organization.

The researchers' previous work on the kangaroos' closest ecological counterparts in North America, the white-tailed and the mule deer, serves as a subject for comparison and enlarges the overall scope of the work.

A Natural History of Families (Paperback, New Ed): Scott Forbes A Natural History of Families (Paperback, New Ed)
Scott Forbes
R1,031 Discovery Miles 10 310 Ships in 18 - 22 working days

Why do baby sharks, hyenas, and pelicans kill their siblings? Why do beetles and mice commit infanticide? Why are twins and birth defects more common in older human mothers? "A Natural History of Families" concisely examines what behavioral ecologists have discovered about family dynamics and what these insights might tell us about human biology and behavior. Scott Forbes's engaging account describes an uneasy union among family members in which rivalry for resources often has dramatic and even fatal consequences.

In nature, parents invest resources and control the allocation of resources among their offspring to perpetuate their genetic lineage. Those families sometimes function as cooperative units, the nepotistic and loving havens we choose to identify with. In the natural world, however, dysfunctional familial behavior is disarmingly commonplace.

While explaining why infanticide, fratricide, and other seemingly antisocial behaviors are necessary, Forbes also uncovers several surprising applications to humans. Here the conflict begins in the moments following conception as embryos struggle to wrest control of pregnancy from the mother, and to wring more nourishment from her than she can spare, thus triggering morning sickness, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Mothers, in return, often spontaneously abort embryos with severe genetic defects, allowing for prenatal quality control of offspring.

Using a broad sweep of entertaining examples culled from the world of animals and humans, "A Natural History of Families" is a lively introduction to the behavioral ecology of the family.

Escaping From Predators - An Integrative View of Escape Decisions (Hardcover): William E. Cooper, Jr, Daniel T. Blumstein Escaping From Predators - An Integrative View of Escape Decisions (Hardcover)
William E. Cooper, Jr, Daniel T. Blumstein
R2,584 Discovery Miles 25 840 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

When a predator attacks, prey are faced with a series of 'if', 'when' and 'how' escape decisions - these critical questions are the foci of this book. Cooper and Blumstein bring together a balance of theory and empirical research to summarise over fifty years of scattered research and benchmark current thinking in the rapidly expanding literature on the behavioural ecology of escaping. The book consolidates current and new behaviour models with taxonomically divided empirical chapters that demonstrate the application of escape theory to different groups. The chapters integrate behaviour with physiology, genetics and evolution to lead the reader through the complex decisions faced by prey during a predator attack, examining how these decisions interact with life history and individual variation. The chapter on best practice field methodology and the ideas for future research presented throughout, ensure this volume is practical as well as informative.

The Primordial Emotions - The dawning of consciousness (Hardcover): Derek Denton The Primordial Emotions - The dawning of consciousness (Hardcover)
Derek Denton
R2,947 Discovery Miles 29 470 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

To understand what is happening in the brain in the moment you decide, at will, to summon to consciousness a passage of Mozart's music, or decide to take a deep breath, is like trying to "catch a phantom by the tail". Consciousness remains that most elusive of all human phenomena - one so mysterious, one that even our highly developed knowledge of brain function can only partly explain. This book is unique in tracing the origins of consciousness. It takes the investigation back many years in an attempt to uncover just how consciousness might have first emerged. Consciousness did not develop suddenly in humans - it evolved gradually. In 'The Primordial Emotions', Derek Denton, a world renowned expert on animal instinct and a leader in integrative physiology, investigates the evolution of consciousness. Central to the book is the idea that the primal emotions - elements of instinctive behaviour - were the first dawning of consciousness. Throughout he examines instinctive behaviours, such as hunger for air, hunger for minerals, thirst, and pain, arguing that the emotions elicited from these behaviours and desire for gratification culminated in the first conscious states. To develop the theory he looks at behaviour at different levels of the evolutionary tree, for example of octopuses, fish, snakes, birds, and elephants. Coupled with findings from neuroimaging studies, and the viewpoints on consciousness from some of the key figures in philosophy and neuroscience, the book presents an accessible and groundbreaking new look at the problem of consciousness.

The Mirror and the Mind - A History of Self-Recognition in the Human Sciences (Hardcover): Katja Guenther The Mirror and the Mind - A History of Self-Recognition in the Human Sciences (Hardcover)
Katja Guenther
R940 Discovery Miles 9 400 Ships in 9 - 17 working days

How the classic mirror test served as a portal for scientists to explore questions of self-awareness Since the late eighteenth century, scientists have placed subjects-humans, infants, animals, and robots-in front of mirrors in order to look for signs of self-recognition. Mirrors served as the possible means for answering the question: What makes us human? In The Mirror and the Mind, Katja Guenther traces the history of the mirror self-recognition test, exploring how researchers from a range of disciplines-psychoanalysis, psychiatry, developmental and animal psychology, cybernetics, anthropology, and neuroscience-came to read the peculiar behaviors elicited by mirrors. Investigating the ways mirrors could lead to both identification and misidentification, Guenther looks at how such experiments ultimately failed to determine human specificity. The mirror test was thrust into the limelight when Charles Darwin challenged the idea that language sets humans apart. Thereafter the mirror, previously a recurrent if marginal scientific tool, became dominant in attempts to demarcate humans from other animals. But because researchers could not rely on language to determine what their nonspeaking subjects were experiencing, they had to come up with significant innovations, including notation strategies, testing protocols, and the linking of scientific theories across disciplines. From the robotic tortoises of Grey Walter and the mark test of Beulah Amsterdam and Gordon Gallup, to anorexia research and mirror neurons, the mirror test offers a window into the emergence of such fields as biology, psychology, psychiatry, animal studies, cognitive science, and neuroscience. The Mirror and the Mind offers an intriguing history of experiments in self-awareness and the advancements of the human sciences across more than a century.

Comparative Cognition (Paperback): Mary C Olmstead, Valerie A. Kuhlmeier Comparative Cognition (Paperback)
Mary C Olmstead, Valerie A. Kuhlmeier
R1,546 Discovery Miles 15 460 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Integrating developments from psychology, ethology and neuroscience, this is an undergraduate introduction to cognitive processes across species. The authors merge classic studies and contemporary research to give students a full picture of the evolving field of comparative cognition. Engaging students in the discipline from its roots in animal learning and evolutionary biology through to current research, the chapters cover both controlled laboratory and comparative cross-species studies in the natural environment. This approach provides students with complementary ethological and neurobiological perspectives on cognition. Feature boxes encourage active and engaged learning, giving a deeper understanding of topics discussed in the main text. These are supported by end-of-chapter questions to check understanding and encourage wider thinking around topics. Online resources include solutions to questions in the book, advanced material, PowerPoint lecture slides and additional questions, all available at www.cambridge.org/cognition.

Spatial Analysis in Field Primatology - Applying GIS at Varying Scales (Hardcover): Francine L. Dolins, Christopher A. Shaffer,... Spatial Analysis in Field Primatology - Applying GIS at Varying Scales (Hardcover)
Francine L. Dolins, Christopher A. Shaffer, Leila M. Porter, Jena R. Hickey, Nathan P. Nibbelink
R3,104 Discovery Miles 31 040 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

From foraging patterns in a single tree to social interactions across a home range, how primates use space is a key question in the field of primate behavioral ecology. Drawing on the latest advances in spatial analysis tools, this book offers practical guidance on applying geographic information systems (GIS) to central questions in primatology. An initial methodological section discusses niche modelling, home range analysis and agent-based modelling, with a focus on remote data collection. Research-based chapters demonstrate how ecologists apply this technology to a suite of topics including: calculating the intensity of use of both range and travel routes, assessing the impacts of logging, mining and hunting, and informing conservation strategies.

Sexual Selection and the Descent of Man - The Darwinian Pivot (Paperback, New Ed): Bernard Campbell Sexual Selection and the Descent of Man - The Darwinian Pivot (Paperback, New Ed)
Bernard Campbell
R1,516 Discovery Miles 15 160 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Just over one hundred and thirty years ago Charles Darwin, in The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex (1871), developed remarkably accurate conclusions about man's ancestry, based on a review of general comparative anatomy and psychology in which he regarded sexual selection as a necessary part of the evolutionary process. But the attention of biologists turned to the more general concept of natural selection, in which sexual selection plays a complex role that has been little understood. This volume significantly broadens the scope of modern evolutionary biology by looking at this important and long neglected concept of great importance.

In this book, which is the first full discussion of sexual selection since 1871, leading biologists bring modern genetic theory and behavior observation to bear on the subject. The distinguished authors consider many aspects of sexual selection in many species, including man, within the context of contemporary evolutionary theory and research. The result is a remarkably original and well-rounded view of the whole concept that will be invaluable especially to students of evolution and human sexual behavior. The lucid authority of the contributors and the importance of the topic will interest all who share in man's perennial fascination with his own history.

The book will be of central importance to a wide variety of professionals, including biologists, anthropologists, and geneticists. It will be an invaluable supplementary text for courses in vertebrate biology, theory of evolution, genetics, and physical anthropology. It is especially important with the emergence of alternative explanations of human development, under the rubric of creationism and doctrines of intelligent design.

Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour of Wild Cattle - Implications for Conservation (Hardcover): Mario Melletti, James Burton Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour of Wild Cattle - Implications for Conservation (Hardcover)
Mario Melletti, James Burton
R4,801 Discovery Miles 48 010 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Covering all thirteen species of wild cattle, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour of Wild Cattle brings together the contributions of international leading experts on the biology, evolution, conservation status and management of the tribe Bovini, providing: * A comprehensive review of current knowledge on systematic, anatomy and ecology of all wild cattle species (chapters 1 to 8); * A clear understanding of the conservation status of each species and the gaps in our current knowledge (chapters 9 to 20); * A number of case studies on conservation activities and an investigation of some of the most threatened and poorly understood species (chapters 21 to 27). An invaluable resource for students, researchers, and professionals in behavioural ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation biology, this beautifully illustrated reference work reveals the extraordinary link between wild cattle and humans, the benefits some of these species have brought us, and their key roles in their natural ecosystems.

Bird Minds - Cognition and Behaviour of Australian Native Birds (Paperback): Gisela Kaplan Bird Minds - Cognition and Behaviour of Australian Native Birds (Paperback)
Gisela Kaplan
R788 R735 Discovery Miles 7 350 Save R53 (7%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

In her comprehensive and carefully crafted book, Gisela Kaplan demonstrates how intelligent and emotional Australian birds can be. She describes complex behaviours such as grieving, deception, problem solving and the use of tools. Many Australian birds cooperate and defend each other, and exceptional ones go fishing by throwing breadcrumbs in the water, extract poisonous parts from prey and use tools to crack open eggshells and mussels. Kaplan brings together evidence of many such cognitive abilities, suggesting plausible reasons for their appearance in Australian birds. Bird Minds is the first attempt to shine a critical and scientific light on the cognitive behaviour of Australian land birds. In this fascinating volume, the author also presents recent changes in our understanding of the avian brain and links these to life histories and longevity. Following on from Kaplan's well-received books on the Australian Magpie and the Tawny Frogmouth, as well as two earlier titles on birds, Bird Minds contends that the unique and often difficult conditions of Australia's environment have been crucial for the evolution of unusual complexities in avian cognition and behaviour.

Strategies and Tactics of Behavioral Research and Practice (Hardcover, 4th edition): James M Johnston, Henry S. Pennypacker,... Strategies and Tactics of Behavioral Research and Practice (Hardcover, 4th edition)
James M Johnston, Henry S. Pennypacker, Gina Green
R5,104 Discovery Miles 51 040 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Strategies and Tactics of Behavioral Research and Practice focuses on the most effective methods for measuring and evaluating changes in behavior. The authors provide the rationale for different procedures for measuring behavior and designing within-subject comparisons between control and intervention conditions. The text explains the strengths and weaknesses of methodological alternatives for every topic so that behavioral researchers and practitioners can make the best decisions in each situation. This classic text has been extensively revised to be more accessible and practical. Not only does it feature much more discussion of how research methods are relevant to today's practitioners, it also includes additional examples based on field research and service delivery scenarios. With expanded coverage on creating experimental designs, as well as new chapters on behavioral assessment, the statistical analysis of data, and ethical issues associated with research methods, this book provides a strong foundation for direct behavioral measurement, within-subject research design, and interpretation of behavioral interventions. Enriched with more pedagogical features, including key terms, tables summarizing important points, figures to help readers visualize text, and updated examples and suggested readings, this book is an invaluable resource for students taking courses in research methods. This book is appropriate for researchers and practitioners in behavior analysis, psychology, education, social work, and other social and health science programs that address questions about behavior in research or practice settings.

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