Behavioural Ecology - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0199206295 ISBN 13: 9780199206292

Publisher: OUP Oxford, 2008

Synopsis

Why are some species monogamous while others are polygamous? Why are males usually more ornamented than females? What makes one organism the hunter and another the hunted? Why do some creatures stick together in groups while others prefer to go it alone? Can we talk of animal culture? Behavioural Ecology provides a fascinating insight into the evolutionary and ecological processes that underpin animal behaviour. Opening with an overview of the evolutionary and methodological framework of behavioural ecology, the book goes on to explore behaviours in terms of the selective pressures involved in their design. It addresses natural selection, sexual selection, and gene selection, before closing with an investigation of the human impact on behavioural ecology. Featuring chapters written by university teachers, each with research expertise in their respective fields, Behavioural Ecology has been moulded by Danchin, Giraldeau, and Cezilly to give a uniform voice throughout: it is a text with all the qualities of a multi-author book, but without the potential drawbacks.Behavioural Ecology offers a fresh, contemporary account of a field re-invigorated by advances in the last decade, making it the ideal teaching and learning text. Online Resource Centre: For registered adopters of the book: -Figures from the book available to download, to facilitate lecture preparation For students: -Library of web links, giving ready access to additional resources

About this title

Review:

[A] clean and comprehensive coherence and whilst a solid reference and textbook work, it is a genuine pleasure to read. (Journal of Biological Education)

It neatly integrates behavioural mechanisms with the adaptive value of behavioural traits, and their underlying genetics. What is more, it is an ejoyable read. It is sure to appeal to a wide spectrum of readers from undergraduates through to professional behavioural ecologists. (Owen Jones in Bulletin of the British Ecological Society, 2009)

I found a substantial amount of new information and the book is excellent in refreshing one's memory and broadening one's views: and all this for a reasonable price. I am convinced that anyone interested in this field, from undergraduates to professionals, will enjoy this much needed new textbook on behavioural ecology. (Marc Naguib in Animal Behaviour, 2008)

This is an excellent textbook, useful for students at all levels, as well as professionals. I think this book is set to become the new standard textbook on behavioural ecology. (Eliza Z. Cameron in Behavioural Processes, 2008)

I think it achieves the very difficult task of being of value to a wide spectrum of readers. It is sufficiently clear and careful in its explanations, and fulsome in its examples that undergraduates can really use it. At the same time, almost everyone who would call themselves professional behavioural ecologists will benefit from reading this book. (Graeme Ruxton, University of Glasgow)

About the Author:

Étienne Danchin is a lecturer in the Evolution and Biological Diversity Group at the Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France. ; Luc-Alain Giraldeau is a professor in the Department of Biological Science at the Universite du Quebec in Montreal, Canada.; Frank Cézilly is a professor in the Life Sciences Department at the Universite de Bourgogne, France.

About this edition

• Publisher: OUP Oxford
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0199206295
• ISBN 13: 9780199206292
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 912
• Editor: Danchin Étienne, Giraldeau Luc-Alain, Cézilly Frank