Animal Behavior

The leading text in the field shows how researchers use scientific logic to study the underlying mechanisms and evolutionary bases of behavior, with emphasis on how evolutionary theory unifies the various sub disciplines within animal behavior. A comparative and integrative overview of how and why animals as diverse as insects and humans behave the way that they do, linking behaviors to the brain, genes, and hormones, as well as to the surrounding ecological and social environments.

Table of Contents:
1 An Introduction to Animal Behavior1.1 Natural Selection and the Evolution of Behavior --1.1.1 The Cost-Benefit Approach --1.1.2 The Levels of Analysis --1.1.3 The Integrative Study of Animal Behavior1.2 Approaches to Studying Behavior1.2.1 Examining the Adaptive Basis of Behavior1.2.2 Inferring the Evolutionary History of Behavior2 The Integrative Study of Behavior2.1 The Development of Song Learning --2.1.1 Intraspecific Variation and Dialects --2.1.2 Social Experience and Song Development 2.2 Mechanisms of Song Learning --2.2.1 The Genetics of Song Learning --2.2.2 The Avian Song Control System2.3 The Evolution of Song Learning --2.3.1 An Evolutionary History of Bird Song --2.3.2 Song Learning: A Comparative Approach2.4 The Adaptive Value of Song Learning --2.4.1 Ecological and Social Correlates of Song Learning --2.4.2 Social Competition and Mate Choice3 The Developmental and Molecular Bases of Behavior 3.1 Behavior Requires Genes and the Environment --3.1.1 Behavioral Ontogeny --3.1.2 Gene Regulation Influences Behavior3.2 The Evolutionary Development of Behavior --3.2.1 The Evo-Devo Approach to Understanding Behavior --3.2.2 Molecular Toolkits and the Development of Behavior3.3 The Development of Behavioral Variation --3.3.1 Early Life Developmental Conditions --3.3.2 Alternative Behavioral Phenotypes4 The Neural Basis of Behavior 4.1 Responding to Stimuli --4.1.1 Complex Behavioral Responses to Simple Stimuli --4.1.2 How Moths Avoid Bats4.2 Sensory Stimuli and Nervous System Control --4.2.1 Decision Making in the Brain --4.2.2 Alternative Sensory Modalities 1054.3 Translating Sensory Stimuli into Behavior --4.3.1 Neural Mechanisms of Information Transfer --4.3.2 Stimulus Filtering5 The Physiological and Endocrine Bases of Behavior 5.1 Endogenous Rhythms and Changing Behavioral Priorities --5.1.1 Endogenous versus Exogenous Control of Behavioral Priorities --5.1.2 Mechanisms of Changing Behavioral Priorities5.2 Cues that Entrain Cycles of Behavior --5.2.1 Predictable Environmental Cues --5.2.2 Unpredictable Environmental Cues5.3 Hormones and Behavior --5.3.1 Activational Effects of Hormones --5.3.2 Hormonal Causes and Consequences of Behavior6 Avoiding Predators and Finding Food 6.1 Antipredator Behavior --6.1.1 Blending In --6.1.2 Standing Out --6.1.3 Social Defenses --6.1.4 Optimality Theory and Antipredator Behavior6.2 Foraging Behavior --6.2.1 Optimal Foraging Theory --6.2.2 Landscapes of Fear --6.2.3 Cognition and Finding Food --6.2.4 Frequency Dependence and Foraging Behavior7 Territoriality and Movement 7.1 Where to Live --7.1.1 Habitat --7.1.2 Selection --7.1.3 Territoriality7.2 To Stay or Go --7.2.1 Dispersal --7.2.2 Variation in Migratory Behavior and Connectivity 2258 Principles of Communication 8.1 Communication and Animal Signals --8.1.1 A Communication Framework --8.1.2 Functionally Referent Signals8.2 The Evolution of Animal Signals --8.2.1 Preexisting Traits --8.2.2 Preexisting Biases --8.2.3 Preexisting Traits versus Preexisting Biases8.3 The Function of Animal Signals --8.3.1 Honest Signaling --8.3.2 Deceitful Signaling --8.3.3 Eavesdropping on Others9 Reproductive Behavior 9.1 Sexual Selection and the Evolution of Sex Differences --9.1.1 Sex Differences in Behavior and Investment --9.1.2 A Reversal in Sex Differences9.2 Intrasexual Selection and Competition for Mates --9.2.1 Competition and Access to Mates --9.2.2 Conditional Mating Tactics versus Alternative Mating Strategies --9.2.3 Sperm Competition --9.2.4 Paternity Assurance9.3 Intersexual Selection and Mate Choice --9.3.1 Female Mate Choice: Direct versus Indirect Benefits --9.3.2 Cryptic Female Choice --9.3.3 Signal Evolution: Runaway versus Chase-Away Sexual Selection9.4 Sexual Conflict --9.4.1 The Manipulation of Female Choice --9.4.2 Sexual Arms Races10 Mating Systems 10.1 Monogamy: A Lack of Multiple Mating --10.1.1 Why Be Monogamous? 10.1.2 Monogamy and Biparental Care10.2 Polyandry: Multiple Mating by Females --10.2.1 Female versus Male Control of Mating --10.2.2 Indirect versus Direct Benefits 32710.3 Polygyny: Multiple Mating by Males --10.3.1 Female Defense Polygyny --10.3.2 Resource Defense Polygyny --10.3.3 Lek Polygyny --10.3.4 Scramble Competition Polygyny10.4 Polygynandry and Promiscuity: Multiple Mating by Both Sexes --10.4.1 Polygynandry --10.4.2 Promiscuity11 Parental Care 11.1 Offspring Value and Parental Investment --11.1.1 Parental Care Decisions --11.1.2 Parental Favoritism in Offspring Care and Production --11.1.3 Family Conflict11.2 To Care or Not to Care --11.2.1 Current versus Future Reproduction --11.2.2 Sexual Conflict and Parental Care --11.2.2 Maternal versus Paternal Care11.3 (Non-)Discriminating Parental Care --11.3.1 Offspring Recognition and Interspecific Brood Parasitism --11.3.2 Coevolutionary Arms Races --11.3.3 The Evolution of Brood Parasitism12 Principles of Social Evolution 12.1 Altruism and Levels of Selection --12.2.1 Individual versus Group Selection --12.2.2 Kin Selection12.2 Kin Selection and Inclusive Fitness Theory --12.2.1 Haplodiploidy and the Evolution of Eusociality --12.2.2 Inclusive Fitness and Monogamy --12.2.3 Sterility and Caste Differentiation12.3 Social Conflict in Animal Societies --12.3.1 Reproductive Conflict --12.3.2 Consequences of Social Conflict13 Social Behavior and Sociality 13.1 Forms of Social Behavior --13.1.1 Mutual Benefit --13.1.2 Altruism and Reciprocity --13.1.3 Selfishness and Spite13.2 The Evolution of Cooperative Breeding --13.2.1 Direct versus Indirect Benefits --13.2.2 Costs of Breeding Cooperatively --13.2.3 Individual Differences in Cooperative Behavior13.3 Reproductive Conflict --13.3.1 Social Organization and Reproductive Skew --13.3.2 Reproductive Suppression and Senescence14 Human Behavior 14.1 Human Speech and Complex Language --14.1.1 The Development and Evolutionary History of Human Speech --14.1.2 The Neurophysiology of Human Speech --14.1.3 The Adaptive Value of Human Speech14.2 Human Reproductive Behavior --14.2.1 Mate Choice in Humans --14.2.2 Social Conflict in Humans

About the Author :
Dustin Rubenstein is a Professor of Ecology at Columbia University and an integrative behavioral and evolutionary ecologist who studies the evolution of complex animal societies and how organisms adapt to and cope with environmental change.

Review :
This is a book that attempts to integrate proximate and ultimate mechanisms of animal behavior across different physiological levels and across varying environmental contexts. The breadth and context-dependence of animal behavior makes this a very challenging task, but the authors do a good job of integrating both within an organism's organizational structure as well as across proximate and ultimate mechanisms in a compelling way." -Matthew Zipple, Duke University [The new edition of Animal Behavior] integrates learning objectives and multimedia files to supplement the theory and research findings of the neural physiology behind animal behavior." -Christine Brodsky, Pittsburg State University Rubenstein's Animal Behavior provides a comprehensive introduction to the study of animal behavior from every conceivable angle. It provides specific examples to contextualize the science behind particular behaviors, while remaining interesting and easy to understand." -Amanda A. Rollins, Wilmington College The data-driven figures are priceless. The focus on scientific investigations is magnificent. And the maintenance of the rich tradition of having an extensive bibliography of peer-reviewed studies is without equal." -Arshad Khan, University of Texas at El Paso