Animal Behavior

Description

Animal Behavior: Concepts, Methods, and Applications takes a conceptual approach that highlights the process of science and the real-world applications of animal behaviour research. The approach is based on the growing mandate to shift science education from rote memorization to a conceptual approach that emphasizes the nature of enquiry in science. Each concept is illustrated using research from the primary literature, with an emphasis on the methods of the featured studies.

• Takes a conceptual approach that highlights the process of science and the real-world applications of animal behaviour research
• Each chapter is built around broad organizing concepts. This conceptual approach helps students make connections, see broader implications, and apply their learning.
• Illustrates each chapter using research from the primary literature, with an emphasis on the methods of the featured studies so that students can become immersed in the process of animal behaviour research
• Scientific Process boxed in every chapter present detailed research descriptions within a scientific framework, clearly and concisely laying out each step of the scientific process
• Toolboxes explain essential skills and complex terms in the science of animal behaviour
• Summaries at the end of every chapter point sudents to recent research that further develops the ideas the chapter has covered
• Questions are provided at the end of every chapter to promote critical thinking and guide class discussions
• Contains research examples covering a diverse range of taxa from all over the world

New to this edition

• A new chapter on sensory systems and behaviour, as well as more coverage of proximate mechanisms throughout
• Updated coverage of groundbreaking developments in the field, particularly in the areas of behavioural neuroscience, teaching and learning, and animal personalities
• New pedagogical tools to help students develop their critical thinking skills, including 'Evaluate' prompts following Scientific Process boxes

About the Author(s)

Shawn Nordell, Senior Associate Director for the Teaching Center, Washington University in St. Louis, and Thomas Valone, Professor and Associate Chair of Biology and Director of the Reis Biological Field Station, Saint Louis University

Shawn Nordell is Senior Associate Director for the Teaching Center at Washington University in St. Louis.

Thomas Valone is Associate Chair of Biology at Saint Louis University and Director of the Reis Biological Field Station.

Table of Contents

1: The Science of Animal Behavior
2: Methods for Studying Animal Behavior
3: Evolution and the Study of Animal Behavior
4: Behavioral Genetics
5: Sensory Systems and Behavior
6: Communication
7: Learning, Neuroethology, and Cognition
8: Foraging Behavior
9: Antipredator Behavior
10: Dispersal and Migration
11: Habitat Selection, Territoriality, and Aggression
12: Mating Behavior
13: Mating Systems
14: Parental Care
15: Sociality

Reviews

"This is a wonderful text. It is full of clear and informative examples that highlight major concepts in animal behavior, leaving students not with a list of terms to memorize, but a better understanding of how scientists think about animal behavior more broadly." - Eric Patterson, Georgetown University

"This text covers all the major theoretical topics we teach in animal behavior and illustrates each with concrete examples from current research. More than any other, this book gives students a firm grasp of hypothesis testing and experimental process." - Stan Braude, Washington University in St. Louis

"Animal Behavior, Second Edition, offers a completely different way of presenting material to students - it enables them to see 'science in action,' and thus the concepts come alive, rather than appearing as dull facts to be memorized. It is very well written and engaging, and students with even the slightest interest in the field will enjoy reading it! The focus on applications and current research is especially appealing and unique." - Miles Engell, North Carolina State University

"I was very excited to read the chapter on mating systems. I found myself more and more excited as I read through explanations of why systems existed, etc. My immediate thought was 'Students will get this!'. This book is written on a level that students can easily understand, and each chapter provides relevant and interesting examples of the concepts that it covers. The 'Scientific Process' boxes in each chapter are particularly useful, as they draw students' attention to experiments, including hypotheses, methods, results, and implications." - Melloni Cook, University of Memphis