Behavior of Animals: Mechanisms, Function And Evolution

"Comprises contributions from an impressive number of authorities in their research fields ... The editors' aim was to create a modern textbook incorporating all the contemporary subdisciplines of behavioural biology while encompassing both functional and causal approaches, and I am very impressed with the way they have achieved this goal ... I strongly recommend this superb volume." Ethology "If animals could speak, they would certainly express their satisfaction with Bolhuis and Giraldeau's magnificently edited volume. It shows not only how far students of animal behavior have come in understanding the exquisitely designed lives of animals, but the exciting path ahead. This book will be of interest to students of animal behavior at all levels, and especially important for graduate students snooping around for a thesis project." Marc Hauser, Harvard College Professor, author of "Wild Minds" (Holt, 2000) "Built on the solid foundations of Tinbergen's 'four questions', this lucid and comprehensive textbook will bring contemporary research in animal behaviour to life for the student." Professor Mark H Johnson, Director, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, University of London "With superb overviews of topics such as cognition, development and sexual selection from renowned experts, The Behavior of Animals is the best textbook of animal behaviour on the market." Kevin N. Laland, Royal Society University & University of St Andrews "The study of animal behavior continues to broaden as it gains scientific maturity. Bolhuis and Giraldeau capture this current in our discipline's development, imparting freshness and enthusiasm to both established and new areas of inquiry, while retaining a sense of continuity with history. Highly recommended." Professor Ron Ydenberg, Director, Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Simon Fraser University, Canada "... there is a great deal to recommend this text. It is very clearly written with a wealth of examples and cases that would stimulate the beginner into wanting to find out more. The focus on the development of the subject as well as its explanation gives it a historical perspective which puts even the most recent work into a firm context. The enthusiasm of many of the contributors shows in their work and this allows the text to stand out from the usual introduction ... this book should be seen as a major text in university courses." Dr Paul S. Ganderton, Teaching Ecology Group News, March 2005" "...my choice for teaching either advanced undergraduate students with a background in the life sciences and an interest in animal behaviour or a graduate-level seminar course...The Behavior of Animals should prove an engaging and challenging compendium, providing a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of a very diverse discipline." Bennett G. Galef, Jr., Animal Behaviour, 69, 5, 1224-1225. "Bolhuis and Giraldeau have assembled an extremely impressive team to write the book, the authors being established and highly regarded experts, many of whom have carried out trail-blazing work in their chosen research field...The editors and authors of The Behaviour of Animals: Mechanisms, Function and Evolution have done us a good service by producing an excellent example of the multi-author model, which I shall certainly recommend to my undergraduate and postgraduate students." Journal of Experimental Biology, 2205-2206. "The Behavior of Animals: Mechanisms, Function, and Evolution is a highly suitable textbook [for such an upper level course,] as it exposes students and other non-experts to the cutting edge of this discipline by relying on the voices of experts and provision of good starting point references across this broad field." Dezene Huber, ISBE Newsletter, Vol. 17(2), November 2005

This wide-ranging textbook provides a broad overview of the current state of animal behavior studies. It is an ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in biology, experimental psychology and neuroscience. It comprises a series of contributions from international experts. It represents a diverse set of approaches to animal behavior. It ranges across the subject all levels, from molecules and neurons to individuals and populations. It draws on the work of the pioneering Dutch ethologist, Niko Tinbergen. It addresses all four of Tinbergen's key questions: causation, development, function, and evolution. It deals with contemporary subjects, such as animal welfare, conservation, neurobiology, and animal cognition.