The Behavior of Animals: Mechanisms, Function And Evolution

This wide-ranging textbook provides a broad overview of the current state of animal behavior studies and is ideal for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in biology, experimental psychology and neuroscience. Comprising a series of contributions from international experts, it represents diverse approaches to animal behavior and ranges across the subject at all levels, from molecules and neurons through to individuals and populations.

Drawing on the principles formulated by Nobel laureate Niko Tinbergen, the book endorses the view that animal behavior can only be understood through research on four related questions: causation, development, function, and evolution. For this reason, the chapters are organized into sections. The first is devoted to mechanisms, and covers both cause and development. The next section is on function, and covers both survival value and evolution. Finally, there is a section on animal behavior and human society, which deals with animal welfare and conservation.