Mixed-Species Groups of Animals: Behavior, Community Structure, and Conservation presents a comprehensive discussion on the mixed-species groups of animals, a spectacular and accessible example of the complexity of species interactions. They are found in a wide range of animals, including invertebrates, fish, mammals and birds, and in different habitats, both terrestrial and aquatic, throughout the world. While there are more than 500 articles on this subject scattered in separate categories of journals, there has yet to be a general, cross-taxa book-length introduction to this subject that summarizes the behavior and community structure of these groups. The authors first survey the diversity of spatial associations among animals and then concentrate on moving groups. They review the major classes of theories that have been developed to explain their presence, particularly in how groups increase foraging efficiency and decrease predation. Finally, they explore the intricacies of species interactions, such as communication, that explain species roles in groups and discuss what implications these social systems have for conservation.

Group living is a widespread phenomenon amongst animals and has attracted considerable attention in a number of different contexts. This book focuses on the unifying concepts regarding group behaviour that have been developed over the last two decades. The authors discuss the mechanisms that govern the evolution and maintenance of grouping behaviour throughout the animal kingdom, and the factors that control observed group size and group composition in particular situations. Although the book's emphasis is on the elaboration of a conceptual framework, extensive examples and case studies illustrate the diversity of grouping phenomena across taxonomic boundaries, and demonstrate the general applicability of the concepts involved. Living in Groups will familiarize the reader with the latest ideas on the ecology and evolution of group-living animals, providing a summary and critical synthesis of the extensive and diverse literature on the subject.

Group living is a widespread phenomenon amongst animals and has attracted considerable attention in a number of different contexts. This book focuses on the unifying concepts regarding group behaviour that have been developed over the last two decades. The authors discuss the mechanisms that govern the evolution and maintenance of grouping behaviour throughout the animal kingdom, and the factors that control observed group size and group composition in particular situations. Although the book's emphasis is on the elaboration of a conceptual framework, extensive examples and case studies illustrate the diversity of grouping phenomena across taxonomic boundaries, and demonstrate the general applicability of the concepts involved. Living in Groups will familiarize the reader with the latest ideas on the ecology and evolution of group-living animals, providing a summary and critical synthesis of the extensive and diverse literature on the subject.