Animal Behaviour: A Very Short IntroductionHow 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. |
Contents
How animals behave and why | 1 |
Sensing and responding | 13 |
How behaviour develops | 29 |
Learning and animal culture | 46 |
Signals for survival | 60 |
Winning strategies | 76 |
The wisdom of crowds | 97 |
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Common terms and phrases
activity adult alarm calls animal behaviour animal welfare ants bees behaviour develops behavioural ecology Biology bird song bird species brain breeding Caledonian crows Cambridge cells changes Chapter Clark's nutcracker cockroach cognition colony colour complex courtship cuckoo David Dawkins Drosophila effects eggs environment eusocial evolution evolutionary evolutionary arms race evolved example experiments feeding Figure fish flocks foraging FOXP2 fruitfly genes genetic greater honeyguide Hamilton's rule helpers honeybees hormones host human hypothalamus imprinting individual influence interactions John Konrad Lorenz larvae mammals meerkats mice models molecules monkeys moth natural selection nectar nest neural circuits neurons Niko Tinbergen offspring parasite parents patterns pheromone Photo kindly provided predators prey produce pups queen receptors release researchers response Richard Dawkins scatter-hoarding Science scientists scout self-organization sensitive sensory sexual signals smell social insects song sperm stimulated studies survival swarm termite tits vervet waggle dance wasp wild workers young