Download or read book Avian Navigation Pigeon Homing as a Paradigm written by Hans G. Wallraff and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-11-13 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How migratory birds can navigate home from their wintering grounds to their breeding sites over hundreds and thousands of kilometres has been an admired mystery over more than a century. Profound advances towards a solution of this problem have been achieved with a model bird, the homing pigeon. This monograph summarizes our current knowledge about pigeon homing, about the birds' application of a sun compass and a magnetic compass, of a visual topographical map within a familiar area and -- most surprisingly -- of an olfactory map using atmospheric chemosignals as indicators of position in distant unfamiliar areas.
Download or read book Avian Navigation Pigeon Homing as a Paradigm written by Hans G. Wallraff and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-01-12 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How migratory birds can navigate home from their wintering grounds to their breeding sites over hundreds and thousands of kilometres has been an admired mystery over more than a century. Profound advances towards a solution of this problem have been achieved with a model bird, the homing pigeon. This monograph summarizes our current knowledge about pigeon homing, about the birds' application of a sun compass and a magnetic compass, of a visual topographical map within a familiar area and -- most surprisingly -- of an olfactory map using atmospheric chemosignals as indicators of position in distant unfamiliar areas.
Download or read book Sturkie s Avian Physiology written by Colin G. Scanes and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2014-06-30 with total page 1055 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sturkie's Avian Physiology is the classic comprehensive single volume on the physiology of domestic as well as wild birds. The Sixth Edition is thoroughly revised and updated, and features several new chapters with entirely new content on such topics as migration, genomics and epigenetics. Chapters throughout have been greatly expanded due to the many recent advances in the field. The text also covers the physiology of flight, reproduction in both male and female birds, and the immunophysiology of birds. The Sixth Edition, like the earlier editions, is a must for anyone interested in comparative physiology, poultry science, veterinary medicine, and related fields. This volume establishes the standard for those who need the latest and best information on the physiology of birds. - Includes new chapters on endocrine disruptors, magnetoreception, genomics, proteomics, mitochondria, control of food intake, molting, stress, the avian endocrine system, bone, the metabolic demands of migration, behavior and control of body temperature - Features extensively revised chapters on the cardiovascular system, pancreatic hormones, respiration, pineal gland, pituitary gland, thyroid, adrenal gland, muscle, gastro-intestinal physiology, incubation, circadian rhythms, annual cycles, flight, the avian immune system, embryo physiology and control of calcium - Stands out as the only comprehensive, single volume devoted to bird physiology - Offers a full consideration of both blood and avian metabolism on the companion website (http://booksite.elsevier.com/ 9780124071605). Tables feature hematological and serum biochemical parameters together with circulating concentrations of glucose in more than 200 different species of wild birds
Download or read book Nature s Compass written by James L. Gould and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2012-04-29 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The mysterious and remarkable ways that animals navigate We know that animals cross miles of water, land, and sky with pinpoint precision on a daily basis. But it is only in recent years that scientists have learned how these astounding feats of navigation are actually accomplished. With colorful and thorough detail, Nature's Compass explores the remarkable methods by which animals find their way both near home and around the globe. Noted biologist James Gould and popular science writer Carol Gould delve into the elegant strategies and fail-safe backup systems, the invisible sensitivities and mysterious forces, and incredible mental abilities used by familiar and rare species, as they investigate a multitude of navigation strategies, from the simple to the astonishing. The Goulds discuss how animals navigate, without instruments and training, at a level far beyond human talents. They explain how animals measure time and show how the fragile monarch butterfly employs an internal clock, calendar, compass, and map to commence and measure the two-thousand-mile annual journey to Mexico—all with a brain that weighs only a few thousandths of an ounce. They look at honey bees and how they rely on the sun and mental maps to locate landmarks such as nests and flowers. And they examine whether long-distance migrants, such as the homing pigeon, depend on a global positioning system to let them know where they are. Ultimately, the authors ask if the disruption of migratory paths through habitat destruction and global warming is affecting and endangering animal species. Providing a comprehensive picture of animal navigation and migration, Nature's Compass decodes the mysteries of this extraordinary aspect of natural behavior.
Download or read book Homing written by Jon Day and published by John Murray. This book was released on 2019-06-13 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 'Rich and joyous ...The book's quiet optimism about our ability to change, and to learn to love small things passionately, will stay with me for a long time' Helen Macdonald 'Big-hearted and quietly gripping' Guardian 'I love Jon Day's writing and his birds. A marvellous, soaring account' Olivia Laing '[A] beautiful book about unbeautiful birds' Observer 'This is nature writing at its best' Financial Times 'Awash with historical and literary detail, and moving moments ... Wonderful' Telegraph 'Every page of this beautifully written book brought me pleasure' Charlotte Higgins 'A vivid evocation of a remarkable species and a rich working-class tradition. It's also a charming defence of a much-maligned bird, which will make any reader look at our cooing, waddling, junk-food-loving feathered friends very differently in future' Daily Mail 'Endlessly interesting and dazzlingly erudite, this wonderful book will make a home for itself in your heart' Prospect As a boy, Jon Day was fascinated by pigeons, which he used to rescue from the streets of London. Twenty years later he moved away from the city centre to the suburbs to start a family. But in moving house, he began to lose a sense of what it meant to feel at home. Returning to his childhood obsession with the birds, he built a coop in his garden and joined a local pigeon racing club. Over the next few years, as he made a home with his young family in Leyton, he learned to train and race his pigeons, hoping that they might teach him to feel homed. Having lived closely with humans for tens of thousands of years, pigeons have become powerful symbols of peace and domesticity. But they are also much-maligned, and nowadays most people think of these birds, if they do so at all, as vermin. A book about the overlooked beauty of this species, and about what it means to dwell, Homing delves into the curious world of pigeon fancying, explores the scientific mysteries of animal homing, and traces the cultural, political and philosophical meanings of home. It is a book about the making of home and making for home: a book about why we return.
Download or read book Animal Behavior written by Ken Yasukawa and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2014-01-22 with total page 1251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover why animals do what they do, based on their genes, physiologies, cultures, traditions, survival and mating advantages, and evolutionary histories—and find out how studying behavior in the animal world helps us understand human behavior. The three volumes of Animal Behavior: How and Why Animals Do the Things They Do cover the breadth of the field, addressing causation, development, function, and evolution in a wide range of animals, from invertebrates to humans. Inspired by Nobel laureate Nikolaas Tinbergen's work, the first two volumes follow Tinbergen's four classic questions of animal behavior, while the third volume supplies integrated examples of Tinbergen's investigative process applied in specific cases. Written in an engaging, accessible manner ideal for college students as well as general audiences, this evidence-based collection provides a fascinating tour of animal behaviorists' findings, such as how animal communication can be truthful or deceitful, the deadly serious business behind clashes in the "battle of the sexes," and how documentation of animal behavior can lead to a deeper understanding of human behavior. Each chapter provides both historical background and information about current developments in animal behavior knowledge.
Download or read book The Genius of Birds written by Jennifer Ackerman and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2017-04-11 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Lovely, celebratory. For all the belittling of ‘bird brains,’ [Ackerman] shows them to be uniquely impressive machines . . .” —New York Times Book Review “A lyrical testimony to the wonders of avian intelligence.” —Scientific American An award-winning science writer tours the globe to reveal what makes birds capable of such extraordinary feats of mental prowess Birds are astonishingly intelligent creatures. According to revolutionary new research, some birds rival primates and even humans in their remarkable forms of intelligence. In The Genius of Birds, acclaimed author Jennifer Ackerman explores their newly discovered brilliance and how it came about. As she travels around the world to the most cutting-edge frontiers of research, Ackerman not only tells the story of the recently uncovered genius of birds but also delves deeply into the latest findings about the bird brain itself that are shifting our view of what it means to be intelligent. At once personal yet scientific, richly informative and beautifully written, The Genius of Birds celebrates the triumphs of these surprising and fiercely intelligent creatures. Ackerman is also the author of Birds by the Shore: Observing the Natural Life of the Atlantic Coast.
Download or read book International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste written by Thomas E. Finger and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-08-24 with total page 765 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume presents the latest research in the broad field of the chemical senses from the International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste. This field includes not only the obvious senses of taste and smell but also chemical irritation and related sensations. Scientists investigate the mechanisms and functions of the chemical senses in the oral and nasal cavity as well as in the viscera including the gut and airways. This volume takes an integrative approach and provides historical context for modern research in the field. NOTE: Annals volumes are available for sale as individual books or as a journal. For information on institutional journal subscriptions, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com/nyas. ACADEMY MEMBERS: Please contact the New York Academy of Sciences directly to place your order (www.nyas.org). Members of the New York Academy of Science receive full-text access to the Annals online and discounts on print volumes. Please visit http://www.nyas.org/MemberCenter/Join.aspx for more information about becoming a member.
Download or read book Behavioral Lateralization in Vertebrates written by Davide Csermely and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-07-16 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Functional lateralization in the human brain was first identified in the classic observations by Broca in the 19th century. Only one hundred years later, however, research on this topic began anew, discovering that humans share brain lateralization not only with other mammals, but with other vertebrates and even invertebrates. Studies on lateralization have also received considerable attention in recent years due to their important evolutionary implications, becoming an important and flourishing field of investigation worldwide among ethnologists and psychologists. The chapters of this book concern the emergence and adaptive function of lateralization in several aspects of behavior for a wide range of vertebrate taxa. These studies span from how lateralization affects some aspects of fitness in fishes, or how it affects the predatory and the exploratory behavior of lizards, to navigation in the homing flights of pigeons, social learning in chicks, the influence of lateralization on the ontogeny process of chicks, and the similarity of manual lateralization (handedness) between humans and apes, our closest relatives.
Download or read book Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior written by and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2009-04-01 with total page 2662 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior, Three Volume Set has engaged with great success the efforts of many of the best behavioral biologists of the 21st century. Section editors drawn from the most accomplished behavioral scientists of their generation have enrolled an international cast of highly respected thinkers and writers all of whom have taken great care and joy in illuminating every imaginable corner of animal behavior. This comprehensive work covers not only the usual topics such as communication, learning, sexual selection, navigation, and the history of the field, but also emerging topics in cognition, animal welfare, conservation, and applications of animal behavior. The large section on animal cognition brings together many of the world's experts on the subject to provide a comprehensive overview of this rapidly developing area. Chapters relating to animal welfare give a full view of behavioral interactions of humans with companion animals, farm animals, and animals in the wild. The key role of animal behavior in conservation biology receives broad attention, including chapters on topics such as the effects of noise pollution, captive breeding, and how the behavioral effects of parasites interacts with conservation issues. Animal behavior in environmental biology is highlighted in chapters on the effects of endocrine disruptors on behavior and a large number of chapters on key species, such as wolves, chimpanzees, hyenas and sharks. Clear, accessible writing complements a wealth of information for undergraduate college students about the essential concepts of animal behavior and the application of those concepts across the field. In-depth coverage of concepts, methods, and exemplar organisms serves the needs of graduate students and professionals in the field. From the use of behavior in assessing the welfare of pigs to the social behavior of insects, from animal empathy to bat brains, this authoritative reference, with its in-depth introductory articles, rich array of illustrations, interactive cross-referenced links, and numerous suggested readings, can guide the student or the professional to an expanded appreciation of the far-flung world of animal behavior. An invaluable tool for teaching and a source of enrichment and detail for any topic covered in an animal behavior course, the Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior is the definitive reference work in its field and will be for years to come. Comprehensive work which covers the usual topics along with emerging areas of animal behavior This encyclopedia contains clear, accessible writing and is well illustrated, including an online video, complimenting a wealth of information As an online reference, this work will be subject to period updating. This ensures that the work always remains current Contains in-depth introductions to the material that make each well-illustrated section come alive with the best the new content the discipline has to offer Glossary includes a compendium of behavioral terms that form a succinct mosaic of virtually every concept and phenomenon related to animal behavior Section editors, drawn from around the world, represent the best and the brightest among today's behavioral biologists and have recruited a broad range of internationally recognized experts Editors-in-Chief are experienced scientists and writers who between them have authored or edited eight books and teach courses in animal behavior at their respective universities
Download or read book Neurobiology of Umwelt written by Alain Berthoz and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-11-14 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the beginning of the 20th century, German biologist Jakob von Uexküll created the concept of "Umwelt" to denote the environment as experienced by a subject. This concept of environment differs from the idea of passive surroundings and is defined not just by physical surroundings, but is rather a "subjective universe", a space weighted with meaning. Today, neuroscience provides a new way to look at the brain’s capability to create a representation of the world. At the same time behavioural specialists are demonstrating that animals have a richer mental universe than previously known. Philosophical reflection thus finds itself with more experimental and objective data as well. Nearly a century after the publication of von Uexküll’s founding work ("Umwelt und Innenwelt der Tiere" was published in 1909), neurobiologists, psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, ethologists, and philosophers revisit his mail concept at the light of modern science
Download or read book Orientation and Navigation in Vertebrates written by Andrii Rozhok and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-06-25 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reviews all major models and hypotheses concerning the mechanisms supposed to underlie the process of navigation in vertebrates. It covers data on all major model groups of vertebrates studied in the context of animal navigation, such as migratory birds, homing pigeons, sea turtles, subterranean mammals and some migratory fish species. Some other – less studied – groups, e.g., whales, have also been touched. The first part of the book describes different sources of navigational information, with their specific navigational mechanisms known or supposed to be employed by animals for navigational goals. The second part discusses possible functions of these mechanisms in different vertebrates and in the context of different navigational tasks, ranging from short-range navigation, often performed by animals within as small an area as several square meters, to long-distance global-scale migrations performed by many birds and some sea turtles during their lifespan.
Download or read book Animal Movement Across Scales written by Lars-Anders Hansson and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2014-08-21 with total page 517 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Movement, dispersal, and migration on land, in the air, and in water, are pervading features of animal life. They are performed by a huge variety of organisms, from the smallest protozoans to the largest whales, and can extend over widely different distance scales, from the microscopic to global. Integrating the study of movement, dispersal, and migration is crucial for a detailed understanding of the spatial scale of adaptation, and for analysing the consequences of landscape and climate change as well as of invasive species. This novel book adopts a broad, cross-taxonomic approach to animal movement across both temporal and spatial scales, addressing how and why animals move, and in what ways they differ in their locomotion and navigation performance. Written by an integrated team of leading researchers, the book synthesizes our current knowledge of the genetics of movement, including gene flow and local adaptations, whilst providing a future perspective on how patterns of animal migration may change over time together with their potential evolutionary consequences. Novel technologies for tracking the movement of organisms across scales are also discussed, ranging from satellite devices for tracking global migrations to nanotechnology that can follow animals only a millimetre in size. Animal Movement Across Scales is particularly suitable for graduate level students taking courses in spatial animal ecology, animal migration, and 'movement ecology', as well as providing a source of fresh ideas and opinions for those already active within the field. It will also be of interest and use to a broader audience of professional biologists interested in animal movements and migrations.
Download or read book The Thing with Feathers written by Noah Strycker and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2015-03-03 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "[Strycker] thinks like a biologist but writes like a poet." -- Wall Street Journal An entertaining and profound look at the lives of birds, illuminating their surprising world—and deep connection with humanity. Birds are highly intelligent animals, yet their intelligence is dramatically different from our own and has been little understood. As we learn more about the secrets of bird life, we are unlocking fascinating insights into memory, relationships, game theory, and the nature of intelligence itself. The Thing with Feathers explores the astonishing homing abilities of pigeons, the good deeds of fairy-wrens, the influential flocking abilities of starlings, the deft artistry of bowerbirds, the extraordinary memories of nutcrackers, the lifelong loves of albatrosses, and other mysteries—revealing why birds do what they do, and offering a glimpse into our own nature. Drawing deep from personal experience, cutting-edge science, and colorful history, Noah Strycker spins captivating stories about the birds in our midst and shares the startlingly intimate coexistence of birds and humans. With humor, style, and grace, he shows how our view of the world is often, and remarkably, through the experience of birds. You’ve never read a book about birds like this one.
Download or read book The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Animal Minds written by Kristin Andrews and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2017-07-06 with total page 540 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While philosophers have been interested in animals since ancient times, in the last few decades the subject of animal minds has emerged as a major topic in philosophy. The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Animal Minds is an outstanding reference source to the key topics, problems, and debates in this exciting subject and is the first collection of its kind. Comprising nearly fifty chapters by a team of international contributors, the Handbook is divided into eight parts: Mental representation Reasoning and metacognition Consciousness Mindreading Communication Social cognition and culture Association, simplicity, and modeling Ethics. Within these sections, central issues, debates, and problems are examined, including: whether and how animals represent and reason about the world; how animal cognition differs from human cognition; whether animals are conscious; whether animals represent their own mental states or those of others; how animals communicate; the extent to which animals have cultures; how to choose among competing models and explanations of animal behavior; and whether animals are moral agents and/or moral patients. The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Animal Minds is essential reading for students and researchers in philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, ethics, and related disciplines such as ethology, biology, psychology, linguistics, and anthropology.
Download or read book Aeroecology written by Phillip B. Chilson and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-03-23 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book consists of a diverse collection of chapters that seeks to broaden our fundamental understanding of the ecological function and biological importance of the Earth’s lower atmosphere, which provides a huge living space for billions of animals moving within and across continents. Their migration, dispersal and foraging activities connect water and land habitats within and across continents. Drawing upon the wide-ranging experience of the authors, the book takes an inherently interdisciplinary approach that serves to introduce the reader to the topic of aeroecology, frame some of the basic biological questions that can be addressed within the context of aeroecology, and highlight several existing and emerging technologies that are being used to promote aeroecological studies. The book begins with several background chapters, that provide introduction into such topics as atmospheric science, the concept of the habitat, animal physiology, and methods of navigation. It then continues with a broad discussion of observational methods available to and used by aeroecologists. Finally, several targeted examples of aeroecological studies are presented. Following the development of the chapters, the reader is provided with a unifying framework for investigating how the dynamic properties of meteorological conditions at local, regional, and global scales affect the organisms that depend on the air for foraging and movement. Material presented in the book should be of interest to anyone wishing to gain a comprehensive understanding of the aerosphere itself and the myriad airborne organisms that inhabit and depend upon this environment for their existence. The material should be accessible to a diverse set of readers at all stages of training and across a range of research expertise.
Download or read book Learning and Memory A Comprehensive Reference written by and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2017-07-07 with total page 2517 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learning and Memory: A Comprehensive Reference, Second Edition, Four Volume Set is the authoritative resource for scientists and students interested in all facets of learning and memory. This updated edition includes chapters that reflect the state-of-the-art of research in this area. Coverage of sleep and memory has been significantly expanded, while neuromodulators in memory processing, neurogenesis and epigenetics are also covered in greater detail. New chapters have been included to reflect the massive increase in research into working memory and the educational relevance of memory research. No other reference work covers so wide a territory and in so much depth. Provides the most comprehensive and authoritative resource available on the study of learning and memory and its mechanisms Incorporates the expertise of over 150 outstanding investigators in the field, providing a ‘one-stop’ resource of reputable information from world-leading scholars with easy cross-referencing of related articles to promote understanding and further research Includes further reading for each chapter that helps readers continue their research Includes a glossary of key terms that is helpful for users who are unfamiliar with neuroscience terminology
