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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Zoology & animal sciences
How do genes determine behavior? How much of behavior is nature
versus nurture? How do behaviors evolve? Anholt and Mackay, leading
scholars in the field of behavioral genetics, address these
questions and much more in this comprehensive textbook that defines
the emerging field of behavioral genetics. The provides a range of
examples, such as laboratory studies on flies and mice, field
observations on species as diverse as butterflies and meerkats, and
human behavioral disorders. The book blends classical and modern
genetic principles with neurobiological and ecological perspectives
to teach students how to find and map genes that affect behaviors,
as well as how the coordinated expression of ensembles of these
genes enables the nervous system to express complex behaviors in
response to changes in the environment. Principles of Behavioral
Genetics introduces us to the fascinating science that aims to
understand how our genes determine what makes us tick.
Principles of Behavioral Genetics presents a comprehensive overview
of the relationship between genes, brain and behavior. Introductory
chapters provide clear explanations of basic processes of the
nervous system and fundamental principles of genetics of complex
traits without excessive statistical jargon. Individual chapters
describe the genetics of social interactions, olfaction and taste,
memory and learning, circadian behavior, locomotion, sleep, and
addiction, as well as the evolution of behavior. Whereas the focus
is on genetics, neurobiological and ecological aspects are also
included to provide intellectual breadth. The book uses examples
that span the gamut from classical model organisms to non-model
systems and human biology, and include both laboratory and field
studies. Samples of historical information accentuate the text to
provide the reader with an appreciation of the history of the
field. All chapters contain general overviews, concise summaries,
study questions that promote not only memorization but also
contemplation of the material, and recommendations for further
in-depth reading. An extensive glossary that defines the
terminology used in the book is included. This textbook encompasses
a broad definition of the emerging science of behavioral genetics.
* Defines the emerging science of behavioral genetics
* Engagingly written by two leading experts in behavioral
genetics
* Clear explanations of basic quantitative genetic, neurogenetic
and genomic applications to the study of behavior
* Numerous examples ranging from model organisms to non-model
systems and humans
* Concise overviews and summaries for each chapter
Discover the astonishing truth about our aquatic cousins: how they
think and what they know, their experiences and unique behaviours,
and the many things we have in common. There are 33,000 species of
fish on our planet, and that number is constantly increasing. In
context, that is more than all the species of mammals, birds,
amphibians and reptiles added together, making fish the most
numerous vertebrates on our planet. Waters worldwide are teeming
with these elusive creatures, but how much do we really know about
them? Grouped into thematic chapters - including the Dangerous and
Deadly,Unusual Giants and Mini Marvels - in this comprehensive book
biologist Doug Mackay-Hope profiles the secret lives of 50 of our
most interesting underwater cousins in an insightful and
myth-busting study, complete with charming watercolour diagrams and
expert insights. Learn about the White-Spotted Pufferfish, whose
spines hide a deadly toxin, or the Ocellate River Stingray, who
lurks in the rivers of South America and who can kill with just one
touch of it's barbed stinger. Meet Bargibant's Pygmy Seahorse, who
measures just 2cm in length, as well as the enourmous Whale Shark,
which grows to around 13m in length. Be fascinated by the wierd
creatures of the deep ocean, such as the Peter's Elephantnosed Fish
or the kaleidescopic Picasso's Triggerfish. With a foreword by
Jeremy Wade, presenter of River Monsters and Mighty Rivers, and
official fish aficionado, this book is a complete compendium of
fascinating fish facts, with maps showing where in the globe they
can be found, plus facts on how they live, hunt and escape
predators. Beautiful illustrations and photographs accompany each
entry, as well as interesting facts on how they evolved to adapt
tochanging environments, making this book the perfect guide to all
things aquatic.
Most projects in Landscape Ecology, at some point, define a
species-habitat association. These models are inherently spatial,
dealing with landscapes and their configurations. Whether coding
behavioral rules for dispersal of simulated organisms through
simulated landscapes, or designing the sampling extent of field
surveys and experiments in real landscapes, landscape ecologists
must make assumptions about how organisms experience and utilize
the landscape. These convenient working postulates allow modelers
to project the model in time and space, yet rarely are they
explicitly considered. The early years of landscape ecology
necessarily focused on the evolution of effective data sources,
metrics, and statistical approaches that could truly capture the
spatial and temporal patterns and processes of interest. Now that
these tools are well established, we reflect on the ecological
theories that underpin the assumptions commonly made during species
distribution modeling and mapping. This is crucial for applying
models to questions of global sustainability.
Due to the inherent use of GIS for much of this kind of
research, and as several authors research involves the production
of multicolored map figures, there would be an 8-page color insert.
Additional color figures could be made available through a digital
archive, or by cost contributions of the chapter authors. Where
applicable, would be relevant chapters GIS data and model code
available through a digital archive. The practice of data and code
sharing is becoming standard in GIS studies, is an inherent method
of this book, and will serve to add additional research value to
the book for both academic and practitioner audiences."
Although scientists have discovered many fundamental physiological
and behavioral mechanisms that comprise the stress response, most
of current knowledge is based on laboratory experiments using
domesticated or captive animals. Scientists are only beginning,
however, to understand how stress impacts wild animals - by
studying the nature of the stressful stimuli that animals in their
natural environments have adapted to for survival, and what the
mechanisms that allow that survival might be. This book summarizes,
for the first time, several decades of work on understanding stress
in natural contexts. The aim is two-fold. The first goal of this
work is to place modern stress research into an evolutionary
context. The stress response clearly did not evolve to cause
disease, so that studying how animals use the stress response to
survive in the wild should provide insight into why mechanisms
evolved the way that they did. The second goal is to provide
predictions on how wild animals might cope with the Anthropocene,
the current period of Earth's history characterized by the massive
human remodeling of habitats on a global scale. Conservation of
species will rely upon how wild animals use their stress response
to successfully cope with human-created stressors.
Regulatory Mechanisms in Transcriptional Signaling, volume of
Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science, includes
in-depth discussion on
roles of Chromatin remodeling proteins in nuclear receptor
signaling, and ANCCA regulator in cancer.
This important resource, edited by Dr. Debabrata (Debu)
Chakravarti, offers research on the progesterone receptor action in
leiomyoma and endometrial cancer and emerging roles of the
ubiquitin protein system in nuclear hormone receptor signaling, in
order to provide the reader with expert discussions of up-to-date
research.
Aphids are tempting subjects for investigation because they are
often abundant, easily found, and unlikely to run away, and because
of intriguing facts about their biology such as polyphenism,
parthenogenesis, gall formation, and the production of a soldier
morph. However, until now identification has presented a severe
challenge to the beginner, because there are so many rather similar
species, many of which have several different forms. The authors
make this much-needed Naturalists' Handbook accessible by confining
themselves to aphids living on broad-leaved trees. This has reduced
the problems of identification to manageable proportions and should
encourage more field studies of this important and ubiquitous group
of insects. This is a digital reprint (without updates) of ISBN
9780855463144 (2007).
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