Animal Behaviour: A Very Short Introduction

Author: Tristram D. Wyatt
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019102094X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 169

Book Description
How animals behave is crucial to their survival and reproduction. The application of new molecular tools such as DNA fingerprinting and genomics is causing a revolution in the study of animal behaviour, while developments in computing and image analysis allow us to investigate behaviour in ways never previously possible. By combining these with the traditional methods of observation and experiments, we are now learning more about animal behaviour than ever before. In this Very Short Introduction Tristram D. Wyatt discusses how animal behaviour has evolved, how behaviours develop in each individual (considering the interplay of genes, epigenetics, and experience), how we can understand animal societies, and how we can explain collective behaviour such as swirling flocks of starlings. Using lab and field studies from across the whole animal kingdom, he looks at mammals, butterflies, honeybees, fish, and birds, analysing what drives behaviour, and exploring instinct, learning, and culture. Looking more widely at behavioural ecology, he also considers some aspects of human behaviour. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Asking Animals

Author: Birte Nielsen
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781789240610
Category : Animal behavior
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Book Description
Contemporary, thought-provoking yet utterly practical, this book provides an introductory text covering the use and misuse of behavior tests applied to animals. By including illustrative examples from a variety of species, the book inspires the animal scientist to think about what a given behavioral test can be used for and how the results can be interpreted. This text includes: the dos and don'ts of running behavior tests and interpreting the results; many clear, simple illustrations which make the information readily accessible; down-to-earth, practical advice combined with a thorough, evidence-based approach; information on behavior tests for a whole range of species from companion, farm, zoo, laboratory and wild animals--all in in a succinct yet comprehensive text. This book is an essential item in the researcher's toolkit when embarking on and devising any animal behavior test and is valuable to students, established researchers, teachers and practitioners of applied ethology, animal welfare science, and veterinary science. Key Points: It introduces the use of animal behavior testing in a scientific (fact-based), but easy-to-understand manner, explaining the importance of a number of issues, such as ethical and practical considerations, when carrying out animal behavior tests In contrast to existing books on the subject, it includes examples from a variety of species, focusing on animals managed by humans, and it takes the approach of observed behavior of the animals tested, and not their neurological changes The format of the book motivates the reader to pick it up and to finish reading it because of its scientific, yet relaxed, fact-based writing style and numerous diagrams. It will not be an exhaustive list of all existing behavior tests, but will give illustrative examples to inspire further reading.

Observing Animal Behaviour

Author: Marian Stamp Dawkins
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191037443
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 176

Book Description
This book introduces the reader to the power of observation before, and sometimes instead of, experimental manipulation in the study of animal behaviour. It starts with simple and easily accessible methods suitable for student projects, before going on to demonstrate the possibilities that now exist for far more sophisticated analyses of observational data. At a time when animal welfare considerations are attracting political as well as scientific debate, the potential for non-intrusive studies on animals is being increasingly recognized. Observation emerges as a valuable alternative approach, often yielding highly informative results in situations (such as on zoos, farms or for wild animals) where more invasive experimental techniques would be undesirable, unethical or just plain impossible. However, to justify its place alongside experimentation as a rigorous scientific method, observation needs to be just as disciplined and systematic and have just as much attention paid to project design in the way that observations are made and recorded. Observing Animal Behaviour takes the reader through all these stages: from the initial observations, to the formulation of hypotheses, and their subsequent testing with further systematic observations. Although designed principally as a companion text for advanced undergraduate and students taking courses in animal behaviour, this accessible text will be essential reading for anyone wanting to study animal behaviour using observational methods rather than experimentation, and assumes no previous knowledge of animals, statistics or scientific method. It will be of particular relevance and use to those professional researchers and consultants in the behavioural sciences who seek a compact but comprehensive introduction to the quantitative observation of animal behaviour.

Essentials of Animal Behaviour

Author: Peter J. B. Slater
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521629966
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 250

Book Description
Readable introduction to animal behaviour for beginning students in biology and psychology.

Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior

Author:
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128132523
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 3052

Book Description
Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior, Second Edition, Four Volume Set the latest update since the 2010 release, builds upon the solid foundation established in the first edition. Updated sections include Host-parasite interactions, Vertebrate social behavior, and the introduction of ‘overview essays’ that boost the book's comprehensive detail. The structure for the work is modified to accommodate a better grouping of subjects. Some chapters have been reshuffled, with section headings combined or modified. Represents a one-stop resource for scientifically reliable information on animal behavior Provides comparative approaches, including the perspective of evolutionary biologists, physiologists, endocrinologists, neuroscientists and psychologists Includes multimedia features in the online version that offer accessible tools to readers looking to deepen their understanding

An Introduction to Animal Behaviour

Author: Aubrey Manning
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107000165
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 469

Book Description
A beautifully written introduction to the fundamentals of animal behaviour, this revised and updated edition is now in full colour.

An Introduction to Behavioural Ecology

Author: Nicholas B. Davies
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1444314025
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 438

Book Description
The third edition of this successful textbook looks again at the influence of natural selection on behavior - an animal's struggle to survive by exploiting resources, avoiding predators, and maximizing reproductive success. In this edition, new examples are introduced throughout, many illustrated with full color photographs. In addition, important new topics are added including the latest techniques of comparative analysis, the theory and application of DNA fingerprinting techniques, extensive new discussion on brood parasite/host coevolution, the latest ideas on sexual selection in relation to disease resistance, and a new section on the intentionality of communication. Written in the lucid style for which these two authors are renowned, the text is enhanced by boxed sections illustrating important concepts and new marginal notes that guide the reader through the text. This book will be essential reading for students taking courses in behavioral ecology. The leading introductory text from the two most prominent workers in the field. Second colour in the text. New section of four colour plates. Boxed sections to ilustrate difficult and important points. New larger format with marginal notes to guide the reader through the text. Selected further reading at the end of each chapter.

Animal Behaviour

Author: Christopher J. Barnard
Publisher: Pearson Education
ISBN: 9780130899361
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 760

Book Description
This text provides an introduction to the study of behaviour, from its basis in the animal's anatomy and physiology to its adaptive value in the environment. Chris Barnard provides comprehensive coverage of the four major levels of enquiry - mechanism, development, function and evolution.

A Dictionary of Animal Behaviour

Author: David McFarland
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192518410
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 322

Book Description
Covering every aspect of animal behaviour from adaptation to warning, this accessible A-Z also includes terms from the related fields of ecology, physiology and psychology. Clear and informative entries on topics such as communication, learning, and navigation are backed up by examples and illustrations where appropriate. The new edition adds 80 new entries, expands coverage of behavioural ecology, cognitive ethology, and evolutionary theory, and brings the text up to date with new theories and research. An essential source of reference for students of biology, psychology, and zoology, and fascinating reading for all those interested in animal behaviour.

Pheromones and Animal Behaviour

Author: Tristram D. Wyatt
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521485265
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 412

Book Description
We are entering one of the most exciting periods in the study of chemical communication since the first pheromones were identified some 40 years ago. This rapid progress is reflected in this book, the first to cover the whole animal kingdom at this level for 25 years. The importance of chemical communication is illustrated with examples from a diverse range of animals including humans, marine copepods, Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, moths, snakes, goldfish, elephants and mice. It is designed to be advanced, but at the same time accessible to readers whatever their scientific background. For students of ecology, evolution and behaviour, this book gives an introduction to the rapid progress in our understanding of olfaction at the molecular and neurological level. In addition, it offers chemists, molecular and neurobiologists an insight into the ecological, evolutionary and behavioural context of olfactory communication.