Download or read book Adaptive Genetic Variation in the Wild written by Timothy A. Mousseau and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2000-01-13 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two of the great mysteries of biology yet to be explored concern the distribution and abundance of genetic variation in natural populations and the genetic architecture of complex traits. These are tied together by their relationship to natural selection and evolutionary history, and some of the keys to disclosing these secrets lie in the study of wild organisms in their natural environments. This book, featuring a superb selection of papers from leading authors, summarizes the state of current understanding about the extent of genetic variation within wild populations and the ways to monitor such variation. It proposes the idea that a fundamental objective of evolutionary ecology is necessary to predict organism, population, community, and ecosystem response to environmental change. In fact, the overall theme of the papers centers around the expression of genetic variation and how it is shaped by the action of natural selection in the natural environment. Patterns of adaptation in the past and the genetic basis of traits likely to be under selection in a dynamically changing environment is discussed along with a wide variety of techniques to test for genetic variation and its consequences, ranging from classical demography to the use of molecular markers. This book is perfect for professionals and graduate students in genetics, biology, ecology, conservation biology, and evolution.

Download or read book Social Predation written by Guy Beauchamp and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2013-12-07 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The classic literature on predation dealt almost exclusively with solitary predators and their prey. Going back to Lotka-Volterra and optimal foraging theory, the theory about predation, including predator-prey population dynamics, was developed for solitary species. Various consequences of sociality for predators have been considered only recently. Similarly, while it was long recognized that prey species can benefit from living in groups, research on the adaptive value of sociality for prey species mostly emerged in the 1970s. The main theme of this book is the various ways that predators and prey may benefit from living in groups. The first part focusses on predators and explores how group membership influences predation success rate, from searching to subduing prey. The second part focusses on how prey in groups can detect and escape predators. The final section explores group size and composition and how individuals respond over evolutionary times to the challenges posed by chasing or being chased by animals in groups. This book will help the reader understand current issues in social predation theory and provide a synthesis of the literature across a broad range of animal taxa. - Includes the whole taxonomical range rather than limiting it to a select few - Features in-depth analysis that allows a better understanding of many subtleties surrounding the issues related to social predation - Presents both models and empirical results while covering the extensive predator and prey literature - Contains extensive illustrations and separate boxes that cover more technical features, i.e., to present models and review results

Download or read book Predation written by W. Charles Kerfoot and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twenty-four essays from a symposium sponsored by the Ecological Society of America, Fort Collins, CO, 1984. The focus is on a single theme: that the mere presence of a predator can influence interactions between two or more competing species in many important ways, all of which have previously been included under the nebulous term effects. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Download or read book The North American Porcupine written by Uldis Roze and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Long and sympathetic watching, radio tracking, chemical analysis are all part of this naturalist's ingenious and peaceable arsenal of inquiry into the lives of porcupines."--Scientific American

Download or read book Biotremology Studying Vibrational Behavior written by Peggy S. M. Hill and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-11-29 with total page 524 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume is a self-contained companion piece to Studying Vibrational Communication, published in 2014 within the same series. The field has expanded considerably since then, and has even acquired a name of its own: biotremology. In this context, the book reports on new concepts in this fascinating discipline, and features chapters on state-of-the art methods for studying behavior tied to substrate-borne vibrations, as well as an entire section on applied biotremology. Also included are a historical contribution by pioneers in the field and several chapters reviewing the advances that have been made regarding specific animal taxa. Other new topics covered are vibrational communication in vertebrates, multimodal communication, and biotremology in the classroom, as well as in art and music. Given its scope, the book will appeal to all those interested in communication and vibrational behavior, but also to those seeking to learn about an ancient mode of communication.

Download or read book Avoiding Attack written by Graeme D. Ruxton and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2004-10-21 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book discusses the evolution of the mechanisms by which prey avoid attack by their potential predators and questions how such defences are maintained through natural selection. Topics covered include camouflage, warning signals and mimicry.

Download or read book Host Manipulation by Parasites written by David P. Hughes and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-06-07 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Parasites that manipulate the behaviour of their hosts represent striking examples of adaptation by natural selection. This text provides an authoritative review of host manipulation by parasites that assesses developments in the field and lays out a framework for future research.

Download or read book Chemical Ecology in Aquatic Systems written by Christer Brönmark and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2012-03-01 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years it has become increasingly clear that chemical interactions play a fundamental role in aquatic habitats and have far-reaching evolutionary and ecological consequences. A plethora of studies have shown that aquatic organisms from most taxa and functional groups respond to minute concentrations of chemical substances released by other organisms. However, our knowledge of this "chemical network" is still negligible. Chemical interactions can be divided into two larger sub-areas based on the function of the chemical substance. First, there are interactions where chemical substances are toxic to other organisms and are used as a defence against consumers (including both herbivores and predators) or a weapon against competitors (allelopathy). Second, chemical substances may be used as a source for information of the environment; for example: how can I find the optimal habitat, the best food, the nicest partner, and avoid being eaten? Aquatic organisms are able to detect and respond to extremely low concentrations of chemical cues to answer all these questions. The book aims at connecting these intriguing chemical interactions with traditional knowledge of organism interactions. Chemical Ecology of Aquatic Systems covers a wide range of studies, both plant and animal, from different geographic regions and habitats - pelagic as well as benthic. Most of the chemical interactions are similar in freshwater and marine habitats and this book therefore strives at integrating work on both systems.

Download or read book Marine Chemical Ecology written by James B. McClintock and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2001-06-13 with total page 626 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The interdisciplinary field of marine chemical ecology is an expanding and dynamic science. It is no surprise that the breadth of marine organisms studied expanded in concert with developments in underwater technology. With its up-to-date subject reviews by experts, Marine Chemical Ecology is the most current, comprehensive book on the subject. The

Download or read book Neurobiology of Chemical Communication written by Carla Mucignat-Caretta and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2014-02-14 with total page 614 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intraspecific communication involves the activation of chemoreceptors and subsequent activation of different central areas that coordinate the responses of the entire organism—ranging from behavioral modification to modulation of hormones release. Animals emit intraspecific chemical signals, often referred to as pheromones, to advertise their presence to members of the same species and to regulate interactions aimed at establishing and regulating social and reproductive bonds. In the last two decades, scientists have developed a greater understanding of the neural processing of these chemical signals. Neurobiology of Chemical Communication explores the role of the chemical senses in mediating intraspecific communication. Providing an up-to-date outline of the most recent advances in the field, it presents data from laboratory and wild species, ranging from invertebrates to vertebrates, from insects to humans. The book examines the structure, anatomy, electrophysiology, and molecular biology of pheromones. It discusses how chemical signals work on different mammalian and non-mammalian species and includes chapters on insects, Drosophila, honey bees, amphibians, mice, tigers, and cattle. It also explores the controversial topic of human pheromones. An essential reference for students and researchers in the field of pheromones, this is also an ideal resource for those working on behavioral phenotyping of animal models and persons interested in the biology/ecology of wild and domestic species.

Download or read book Behaviour and Evolution written by Peter James Bramwell Slater and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1994-09-15 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some of the most exciting recent advances in animal behaviour have occurred at the interface between that subject and the study of evolution. This book, written by experts in this area, illustrates how the profound changes in our understanding of evolution have influenced behavioural research. Its chapters span both studies of how behaviour itself has evolved, dealing with topics such as comparative studies, the genetics of behaviour, speciation and the evolution of sociality and of intelligence, and also the adaptiveness which this evolution has brought about, with treatment of mating and fighting strategies, and theories of kinship and altruism.Behaviour and Evolution will be invaluable to senior undergraduate and graduate students of biology and psychology, especially those studying animal behaviour, behavioural ecology, sociobiology, evolution, ecology and environmental biology.

Download or read book Cephalopod Cognition written by Anne-Sophie Darmaillacq and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-07-10 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Focusing on comparative cognition in cephalopods, this book illuminates the wide range of mental function in this often overlooked group.

Download or read book Studying Vibrational Communication written by Reginald B. Cocroft and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-07-25 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume explains the key ideas, questions and methods involved in studying the hidden world of vibrational communication in animals. The authors dispel the notion that this form of communication is difficult to study and show how vibrational signaling is a key to social interactions in species that live in contact with a substrate, whether it be a grassy lawn, a rippling stream or a tropical forest canopy. This ancient and widespread form of social exchange is also remarkably understudied. A frontier in animal behavior, it offers unparalleled opportunities for discovery and for addressing general questions in communication and social evolution. In addition to reviews of advances made in the study of several animal taxa, this volume also explores topics such as vibrational communication networks, the interaction of acoustic and vibrational communication, the history of the field, the evolution of signal production and reception and establishing a common vocabulary.

Download or read book Animal Camouflage written by Martin Stevens and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2011-07-07 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the last decade, research on the previously dormant field of camouflage has advanced rapidly, with numerous studies challenging traditional concepts, investigating previously untested theories and incorporating a greater appreciation of the visual and cognitive systems of the observer. Using studies of both real animals and artificial systems, this book synthesises the current state of play in camouflage research and understanding. It introduces the different types of camouflage and how they work, including background matching, disruptive coloration and obliterative shading. It also demonstrates the methodologies used to study them and discusses how camouflage relates to other subjects, particularly with regard to what it can tell us about visual perception. The mixture of primary research and reviews shows students and researchers where the field currently stands and where exciting and important problems remain to be solved, illustrating how the study of camouflage is likely to progress in the future.

Download or read book The Serengeti Lion written by George B. Schaller and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2009-10-15 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on three years of study in the Serengeti National Park, George B. Schaller’s The Serengeti Lion describes the vast impact of the lion and other predators on the vast herds of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle for which the area is famous. The most comprehensive book available on the lion, this classic work includes the author’s findings on all aspects of lion behavior, including its social system, population dynamics, hunting behavior, and predation patterns. “If you have only enough time to read one book about field biology, this is the one I recommend.”—Edward O. Wilson, Science “This book conveys not only the fascination of its particular study of lion behavior but the drama and wonder and beauty of the intimate interdependence of all living things.”—Saturday Review “This is an important book, not just for its valuable information on lions, but for its broad, open, and intelligent approach to problems that cut across the fields of behavior, populations, ecology, wildlife management, evolution, anthropology, and comparative biology.”—Richard G. Van Gelder, Bioscience

Download or read book Pheromones and Animal Behavior written by Tristram D. Wyatt and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-01-23 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explains how animals use chemical communication, emphasising the evolutionary context and covering fields from ecology to neuroscience and chemistry.

Download or read book Trophic and Guild Interactions in Biological Control written by Jacques Brodeur and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-06-03 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume explores modern concepts of trophic and guild interactions among natural enemies in natural and agricultural ecosystems - a field that has become a hot topic in ecology and biological control over the past decade. It is the first book on trophic and guild interactions to make the link to biological control, and is compiled by internationally recognized scientists who have combined their expertise.