Behavioral Neurobiology

Description

Behavioral Neurobiology introduces the fascinating field of neuroethology - the study of the neurobiological processes underlying animal behavior. Written in a lively, easy to read style, it examines many of the major findings that have helped to unravel this intricate subject, as well as the key experiments that underpin them.

• An authoritative introduction to the fundamentals of behavioral neurobiology that examines not only the major findings in each area, but also experimental approaches used to obtain these results and the people behind them
• Summaries of key points, exercises, and further reading suggestions reinforce essential facts and themes and enable the reader to check and develop their understanding
• The comparative zoological approach emphasizes common ideas, giving students a thorough understanding of the principal concepts of behavioral neurobiology without overwhelming them with excessive detail
• A wide range of examples and detailed case studies illustrate key ideas and concepts, while boxes throughout the text containing biographical sketches of eminent past and present researchers bring the past to life.
• Assumes no background knowledge of animal behavior or neurobiology and so is suitable for students starting out in the subject.

New to this edition

• New topics have been added and existing topics expanded including: development of bird song; adaptations of insects to counteract bat echolocation; neural mechanisms of escape swimming in toad tadpoles; formation of joint auditory-visual maps during development; sensory mechanisms and neural correlates of magnetoreception; place cells and formation of cognitive maps; and possible functions of adult neurogenesis in hippocampus.
• New learning features to support the text have been added including: 'Key Concepts' lists at the start of each chapter, which help to introduce and ground each topic; 'Bigger Picture' sections at the end of each chapter link that chapter's content to the wider field of research and application; and short-answer questions at the end of each chapter enable students to test their knowledge and understanding.

About the Author(s)

Günther K.H. Zupanc, Professor, Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts

Günther K. H. Zupanc is a Professor in the Department of Biology at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

After graduating in biology and physics from the University of Regensburg, Germany, he undertook his graduate studies in neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego, where he received his Ph.D. in 1990. Subsequently, he then worked as a Research Biologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, lead a Junior Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen, Germany and was on the faculty of the University of Manchester, United Kingdom and of Jacobs University Bremen (formerly International University Bremen), Germany. Günther K.H. Zupanc was also Visiting Professor at the University of Ottawa, Canada; Visiting Scientist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Scripps Research Institute, both in San Diego, the University of Chicago, Tufts University in Boston, and the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Physiology, Seewiesen; and adjunct faculty member of the University of Tübingen.

He has taught lecture and laboratory courses in behavioral neurobiology at both undergraduate and graduate level to numerous students in the U.S.A. and Europe. In recognition of his research and his contributions to public understanding of science, he has received many awards. His research focuses on the exploration of cellular mechanisms underlying behavioral and neuronal plasticity in teleost fish.

In addition to a large number of articles, his book publications include: Fish and Their Behavior (1982); Praktische Verhaltensbiologie (editor; 1988); Fische im Biologieunterricht (1990); Adult Neurogenesis: a Comparative Approach (editor; 2002); Electric Fish: Model Systems for Neurobiology (editor; 2006); Integrative and Comparative Neurobiology: Papers in Memoriam of Theodore H. Bullock (editor; 2008); Towards a Comparative Understanding of Adult Neurogenesis (editor, jointly with Luca Bonfanti and Ferdinando Rossi; 2011); and Adult Neural Stem Cells in Development, Regeneration, and Aging (editor, jointly with James Monaghan and David L. Stocum; 2019). Günther K.H. Zupanc was senior editor of the Journal of Zoology. Since 2008, he has served as editor of the Journal of Comparative Physiology A.

Table of Contents

1:Introduction
2:Fundamentals of neurobiology
3:The study of animal behavior and its neural basis: a brief history
4:Orienting movements
5:Active orientation and localization
6:Neuronal control of motor output
7:Neuronal processing of sensory information
8:Sensorimotor integration
9:Neuromodulation: the accommodation of motivational changes in behavior
10:Circadian rhythms and biological clocks
11:Large-scale navigation: migration and homing
12:Communication
13:Cellular mechanisms of learning and memory

Reviews

"A milestone in the neuroethological literature." - Jörg-Peter Ewert, Integrative and Comparative Biology

"This book fills a need that is unmet by other modern neuroscience textbooks. By taking a historical perspective on neuroethological approaches to the nervous system, Zupanc brings foundational principles to life." - Dr Bruce Carlson, Washington University, St Louis

"The chapters are detailed and comprehensive. The author is a very accomplished communicator and the text reads beatifully." - Dr David Wilcockson, Aberystwyth University

Additional Resources

There are a number of resources online to supplement the book:

For students:
· Multiple choice questions for you to test yourself
· Useful weblinks
· A biography of the author and interview about key questions in behavioural neurobiology

For lecturers:
· Answers to the questions provided at the end of each chapter
· Figures from the book in a downloadable format
· Journal Club material for each chapter