Evolution / Evolutionary biology Books

Book SynopsisResearch from ecological, social ontogenetic, physiological, and other perspectives is presented to explicate specific behaviors, as well as to provide a more profound understanding of how behavior work influences thought about evolutionary processes.Table of ContentsHow Genetics and Learning Make a Fish Individual (V. Csányi). Mechanisms Involved in the Development and Control of Stereotypies (G.J. Mason, M.A. Turner). Costs and Benefits of Androgenization in the Female Spotted Hyena (S.E. Glickman et al.). Darwin's Tangled Web (D. Smillie). Female Dominance in Primates and Other Mammals (P. Kappeler). Complexity, Coupling and Contingency in the Production of Bird Song (S. Nowicki, J. Podos). Animal Communication by Way of Coordinated Cognitive Systems (C. Johnson). The SpecificMate Recognition System and Variation in Motile Animals (H. Paterson). Models of Biological Change (G. Barker). Animal Social Learning (K.N. Laland et al.). Index.

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Book SynopsisIn this groundbreaking book, Adrian Bejan takes the recurring patterns in nature—trees, tributaries, air passages, neural networks, and lightning bolts—and reveals how a single principle of physics, the constructal law, accounts for the evolution of these and many other designs in our world. Everything—from biological life to inanimate systems—generates shape and structure and evolves in a sequence of ever-improving designs in order to facilitate flow. River basins, cardiovascular systems, and bolts of lightning are very efficient flow systems to move a current—of water, blood, or electricity. Likewise, the more complex architecture of animals evolve to cover greater distance per unit of useful energy, or increase their flow across the land. Such designs also appear in human organizations, like the hierarchical “flowcharts” or reporting structures in corporations and political bodies. All are governed by the same p

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Book Synopsis"A supremely enjoyable, intoxicating work." —NatureTrade Review"[The] best scientific-philosophical approach to understanding how consciousness evolved…A wonderful book that will shape and drive thinking for years to come." -- Shane O’Mara - Times Higher Education"Dennett is always good company…He writes with wit and elegance." -- Thomas Nagel - New York Review of Books"This is a book to read and relish and then read again." -- Michael S. Gazzaniga - Wall Street Journal"Readers will find their minds enriched with many powerful thinking tools." -- Economist"If you have not encountered [Dennett’s] work, you surely should…very few contemporary thinkers have supplied us with so many ‘thinking tools.’…Dennett’s book is astonishingly rich and will introduce you to most of the key ideas in the terrain he strides energetically across." -- Adam Zeman - Standpoint"A subtle and interesting argument." -- Stephen Rose - Guardian"Encyclopedic knowledge of both the history of and the latest thinking in philosophy, evolutionary biology, psychology, and computer science." -- Christopher Beha - Harper's"Brave and bracing." -- Oliver Moody - The Times

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Book SynopsisShort, sassy, and bold, Mean Genes uses a Darwinian lens to examine the issues that most deeply affect our lives: body image, money, addiction, violence, and the endless search for happiness, love, and fidelity. But Burnham and Phelan don''t simply describe the connections between our genes and our behavior; they also outline steps that we can take to tame our primal instincts and so improve the quality of our lives. Why do we want (and do) so many things that are bad for us? We vow to lose those extra five pounds, put more money in the bank, and mend neglected relationships, but our attempts often end in failure. Mean Genes reveals that struggles for self-improvement are, in fact, battles against our own genes -- genes that helped our cavewoman and caveman ancestors flourish but that are selfish and out of place in the modern world. Why do we like junk food more than fruit? Why is the road to romance so rocky? Why is happiness so elusive? What drives us into debt? An invTrade ReviewRobert Frank, Professor of Economics, Cornell University, and author of Luxury Fever "Hip, fun, and packed with attitude, Mean Genes is a laser-guided surgical strike in the self-control battles we fight every day. Burnham and Phelan not only unmask the devil inside us, they hand us the tools to disarm him." Washington Post Book World The Mean Genes message is optimistic...a self-help book for the merely average human being."

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Book SynopsisA Special Publication of the journal Archives of Natural History to coincide with the bicentenary of Darwin's birth.Table of ContentsDarwin in the archives: an introduction, D. M. Porter; Part I: Studies of Erasmus Darwin; 1. Erasmus Darwin, M.D., F.R.S.: a biographical and iconographical note, J. W. T. Moody; 2. Nature, poetry and medicine in late eighteenth century England: a unified perspective of Erasmus Darwin, M. McNeil; Part II: Geological journeys; 3. Jigsaw with pieces missing: Charles Darwin with John Price at Bodnant, the walking tour of 1826 and the expeditions of 1827, P. Lucas; 4. I coloured a map: Darwin's attempts at geological mapping in 1831, M. B. Roberts; 5. Charles Darwin's notes on his 1831 geological map of Shrewsbury, S. Herbert & M. B. Roberts; 6. Darwin's dog-leg: the last stage of Darwin's Welsh field trip of 1831, M. B. Roberts; 7. "A most glorious country": Charles Darwin and North Wales, especially his 1831 geological tour, P. Lucas; Part III: The Beagle specimens; 8. Charles Darwin's plant collections from the voyage of the Beagle, D. M. Porter; 9. Charles Darwin's Beagle collections in the Oxford University Museum, G. Chancellor, A. DiMauro, R. Ingle & G. King; 10. Supplementary notes on Darwin's insects, K. G. V. Smith; 11. More Darwin Beagle notes resurface, D. M. Porter; 12. FitzRoy's foxes and Darwin's finches, W. R. P. Bourne; Part IV: Darwin's data gathering: Questions about the breeding of animals; 13. Charles Darwin. Questions about the breeding of animals. [1840], G. De Beer; 14. Darwin's Questions about the breeding of animals. With a note on Queries about expression, R. B. Freeman & P. J. Gautrey; 15. Charles Darwin's Questions about the breeding of animals, [1839], R. B. Freeman & P. J. Gautrey; 16. Darwin again, J. Browne; 17. Charles Darwin and 'ancient seeds', D. M. Porter; Part V: Natural selection and after; 18. The reading of the Darwin and Wallace papers: an historical "non-event", J. W. T. Moody; 19. T. Lie. The reception of Darwinism in Norway: the early years 1861--1900; 20. Darwin's Archaeopteryx prophecy, G. Kritsky; 21. Offprints of Darwin's "Climbing plants", 1865, R. B. Freeman; 22. Note on the Fritz Muller--Charles Darwin correspondence, A.-K. Mayer; 23. Charles Darwin's Queries about expression, R. B. Freeman & P. J. Gautrey; 24. The early American printings of Darwin's Descent of man!, J. W. Valentine; 25. Darwin's American neighbour, K. G. V. Smith & R. E. Dimick; 26. Samuel Butler, Darwin and Darwinism, B. Coleman; 27. Charles Darwin at Glenridding House, Ullswater, Cumbria, H. P. Moon; 28. Darwin in Chinese, R. B. Freeman; 29. Darwin in Chinese: some additions, P. J. P. Whitehead; Part VI: Methodological issues in Darwin studies; 30. The Charles Darwin--Joseph Hooker correspondence: an analysis of manuscript resources and their use in biography, J. Browne; 31. Exploring Darwin's correspondence: some important but lesser known correspondents and projects, T. Veak; 32. Unveiling Darwin's roots, M. A. Di Gregorio.

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Book SynopsisPrinciples of Evolution covers all aspects of the subject. Following an introductory section that provides necessary background, it has chapters on the evidence for evolution that cover the fossil record, DNA-sequence homologies, and protein homologies (evo-devo). It also includes a full history of life from the first universal common ancestor, through the rise of the eukaryote and on to the major groups of phyla. This section is followed by one on the mechanism of evolution with chapters on variation, selection and speciation. The main part of the book ends with a chapter on human evolution and this is followed by appendices that expand on the making of fossils, the history of the subject and creationism.What marks this book as different from others on evolution is its systems-biology perspective. This new area focuses on the role of protein networks and on multi-level complexity, and is used in three contexts. First, most biological activity is driven by such netwoTable of ContentsSECTION 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO EVOLUTION1. Approaching Evolution2. A Potted History of Evolutionary Science3. Life Today: Species, Diversity, and ClassificationSECTION 2: THE EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION4. The Fossil Record5. Darwinian Descent With Modification: Evolutionary Taxonomy and Cladistics6. The Anatomical Evidence for Vertebrate Evolution: From Fish to Birds7. The Anatomical Evidence for Vertebrate Evolution: Mammals8. The Genomic Evidence for Evolution9. The First Three Billion Years of Life: From the First Universal Common Ancestor to the Last Eukaryote Common Ancestor and Beyond10. Evo-devo 1: Embryos11. Evo-devo 2: The Evidence From Functional HomologiesSECTION 3: THE MECHANISMS OF EVOLUTION12. Variation 1: Populations and Genes13. Variation 2: Clades and Networks14. Adaptation, Fitness, and Selection15. Speciation16. Human Evolution17. ConclusionsAPPENDICESAppendix 1. Systems BiologyAppendix 2. A History of Evolutionary ThoughtAppendix 3. Rocks, Dates, and FossilsAppendix 4. Evolution Versus Creationism

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Book SynopsisHeather deepens our understanding of human evolution by including genetic discoveries that were unavailable in 1871 when Darwin wrote The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex. She offers an updated version of the theory by viewing the courtship dance through a female lens.

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Book SynopsisStochastic Communities presents a theory of biodiversity by analyzing the distribution of abundances among species in the context of a community. The basis of this theory is a distribution called the J distribution. This distribution is a pure hyperbola and mathematically implied by the stochastic species hypothesis assigning equal probabilities of birth and death within the population of each species over varying periods of time. The J distribution in natural communities has strong empirical support resulting from a meta-study and strong theoretical support from a theorem that is mathematically implied by the stochastic species hypothesis.Trade Review"The science of ecology suffers from a disconnect between theory and direct observation. Mathematicians have thought that simple equations could explain ecology. Field ecologists have assumed the mathematicians are right. Thus, empirical ecological understanding and prediction have suffered. Dewdney is an exceptions; he does field work and he is a mathematician. In his wonderful book, he takes advantage of both parts of ecology. And if Dewdney has done his math right, this book opens a whole new door to understanding biodiversity and its myriad causes."- Daniel Botkin, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and President of the Center for the Study of the Environment"… development of a theory and guide to sampling, … it will be of great interest to both empirical and theoretical ecologists." - Trends in Ecology and EvolutionTable of ContentsThe J-curve and the J distribution. The J-distribution and its variations. Sampling in practice and in theory. Compiling and analysing field data. Predictions from data. Extending the sample. Stochastic systems and the stochastic community. The metastudy: A review. Fossil J-curves. Summary of theory and open problems. Appendix A: Mathematical Notes and Computer Tools. Appendix B: Results of the metastudy for the J distribution. Appendix C: Results of the test for the J distribution in taxonomic data.

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Book SynopsisAnimal behaviour expert, Dr Jonathan Balcombe, combines rigorous evidence, elegant argument and amusing anecdotes to show that that animals, like humans, enjoy themselves. It debunks the popular perception that life for most is a continuous struggle for survival and suggests that creatures feel good thanks to play, sex, food, comfort and more.Trade ReviewPleasurable Kingdom is a touching look at the complex and at times playful lives of the animals with which we share this planet. Fascinating and often moving, this book emphasizes that animals, like us, truly have personalities, minds and emotions. - Jane Goodall 'In Pleasurable Kingdom, Balcombe draws together an extraordinary amount of information to help us to appreciate that we are not the only species that can, if all goes well, live joyful lives.' - Peter Singer, Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University, USA 'I predicted, in When Elephants Weep, that in ten years better scientists would write better books about the depth of feelings in animals. Well, that time has come, and here is that book.' - Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, Author of When Elephants Weep 'For centuries humanity has justified our extermination of fishes with the myth that they do not have feelings or intelligence. Jonathan Balcombe exposes this myth and presents fishes, with other animals, as sensitive, social, feeling, marvellous sentient beings.' - Captain Paul Watson, Founder of Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society 'Pleasurable Kingdom is a love affair with our fellow beings. Balcombe tempts us to consider, more open-mindedly than ever before, the experiences of animals in more ways than traditional science has yet acknowledged, perhaps even imagined.' - Professor Jaak Panksepp, author of Affective Neuroscience 'Dr. Balcombe convincingly argues that animals are individual beings with a wide range of emotions and feeling. If he is correct - and I believe he is - it follows that we must grapple with the ethical consequences of his important insights.' - Wayne Pacelle, President& CEO, The Humane Society of the United States 'This impressive book inspires respect and appreciation for all creatures great and small. It should be a standard text for students of biology and behaviour. All who care for animals will be informed and inspired.' - Dr Michael W. Fox, Veterinarian, columnist, author 'Brisk, erudite and enormously entertaining - an excellent, approachable introduction to the basic issues in animal behaviour.' - Publishers Weekly Reviews for the Hardback Version: 'Entertaining examples of animal bliss - from drunken parrots to the caresses of fiddler crabs - bring a pleasure all their own.' - Psychology Today 'This is a lively, shrewd, well-argued book on the simple theme that animals are able to feel pleasure.' Times Higher Educational Supplement 'This genial scientist's accounts of enjoyment in the other-than-human world will irritate strict behaviorists and profoundly delight animal lovers.' - Orion Magazine 'This entertaining and thought-provoking book is recommended for popular science collections.' - Library Journal 'A warm and enjoyable book - anyone with an interest in animal welfare (or just in animals) ought to read it.' - www.popularscience.co.uk 'This book is one in which all campaigners for good animal welfare should invest.' - The Ark 'This well-reasoned, engaging book argues that critters share our capacities for humor, empathy and aesthetic pleasure.' - People Magazine 'Reviews a vast body of scientific literature - full of examples both anecdotal and from refereed journals, and a copious bibliography.' - Booklist 'A joy to read - a carefully balanced book - which also includes some humorous, enlightening and intriguing animal tales.' - www.scienceagogo.com 'Superb - has set an agenda for future research. This book will change how we interact with other animal beings.' - Marc Bekoff in Trends in Evolution and Ecology 'His arguments may change your opinion of the next lobster that arrives steaming on your plate.' - Wired News 'Marvelous - as the first book in this field, scholarly or popular, we also have one that sets a high bar.' - Journal of Applied Animal Behavior Science 'Highly readable...I hope Pleasurable Kingdom encourages study of animal pleasure, because it worked for me.' - Nicola Robinson, www.smh.comTable of ContentsPART I: WHY ANIMAL PLEASURE Survival of the Happiest: The Adaptive Basis for Pleasure Forbidden Pleasures: Our Reluctance to Acknowledge Animal Pleasure Feeling Smart: The Intelligence of Pleasure PART II: WHAT ANIMAL PLEASURE Play: Fun for Its Own Sake Food: The Pleasures of Sustenance Sex: Procreation and Recreation Touch: Making Contact with Pleasure Love: The Ripening Warmth of Intimacy Other Pleasures: Esthetics, Humor and Beyond Fish and Thrips: At the Margins of Pleasure PART III: FROM ANIMAL PLEASURE Feeling Good, Doing Good: Implications of a Pleasurable Kingdom NOTES, REFERENCES, FURTHER READING

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Book SynopsisScientists, and their research, are often shaped by the prevailing social and political context at the time. Kuljian explores this trend in South Africa and provides fresh insight on the search for human origins - in the fields of palaeoanthropology and genetics - over the past century.Trade Review"With its unsparing wealth of personal and historical detail, there's nothing else like Darwin's Hunch available." Ian Tattersall, Curator Emeritus, American Museum of Natural History; "Powerful and revealing. Darwin's Hunch is a fantastic read." Xolela Mangcu, Professor of Sociology, University of Cape Town, and author of Biko: A Biography; "Kuljian's writing is astute and insightful, bringing out new dimensions and details throughout." - Saul Dubow, Queen Mary University of London, author of Scientific Racism in Modern South Africa.Table of ContentsPrologue: The response to Homo Naledi; Part One: Searching for Difference: 1. “The Most Interesting Specimens Were the Natives”; 2. The response to the Taung Child Skull: Born in Africa? “Preposterous”; 3. Race Typology and ‘Specimens of Natural History’;

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Book SynopsisFunctional and Phylogenetic Ecology in R is designed to teach readers to use R for phylogenetic and functional trait analyses. Researchers getting started in R can use this volume as a step-by-step entryway into phylogenetic and functional analyses for ecology in R.Trade ReviewFrom the book reviews:“This book is structured in nine interlinked chapters … . Each chapter is built in a lecture-style incremental manner and does not assume an extensive previous knowledge of R. All chapters conclude with a series of exercises that consolidate the presented notions. This approach makes the book suitable for undergraduates and postgraduates, as well as researchers with an interest in the field. Its structure and detailed examples supported with exercises make it a timely addition for the scientific community.” (Irina Ioana Mohorianu, zbMATH, Vol. 1300, 2015)“This book is based on a course taught by the author and has therefore gone through rigorous user testing, which shows in the clear layout and detailed step-by-step guidance through sophisticated statistical analyses. … Anyone embarking on related research will benefit from this.” (Markus Eichhorn, Frontiers of Biogeography, Vol. 6 (2), 2014)Table of Contents​​​Preface.- Introduction.- Phylogenetic Data in R.- Phylogenetic Diversity.- Functional Diversity.- Phylogenetic & Functional Beta Diversity.- Null Models.- Comparative Methods & Phylogenetic Signal.- Partitioning the Phylogenetic, Functional, Environmental and Spatial Components of Community Diversity.- Integrating R with Other Phylogenetic and Functional Trait Analytical Software.- References.- Index

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Book SynopsisOne of the attractive features of the great classical ethologists was their readiness to ask different kinds of questions about behavior - and to do so without muddling the answers.Table of Contents1 The Nature and Description of Behavior Patterns.- I. Abstract.- II. Introduction.- III. Describing Behavior: Two Methods or One?.- IV. The Domains of Regularity.- A. Location in Space.- B. Orientation to the Environment.- C. Topography of the Animal.- D. Intrinsic Properties of the Animal.- E. Changes Effected in the Physical Environment.- F. A Note on Context.- V. Natural Units of Behavior.- A. The Existence of Natural Units.- B. The Role of the Describer.- C. The Level and Scope of the Unit.- VI. The Description of Behavior Patterns.- A. The Selection of Domains.- B. The Selection of Regularities and Specific Features.- C. The Objectivity of Pure Description.- VII. Conclusions.- VIII. Summary.- IX. Acknowledgments.- X. References.- 2 Individual Differences in Animal Behavior.- I. Abstract.- II. Introduction.- III. Differences in Feeding Behavior.- IV. Strategies of Behavior.- V. Communication of Identity.- VI. Model Action Patterns.- VII. Adaptiveness or Noise?.- VIII. Conclusion.- IX. Acknowledgments.- X. References.- 3 Toward a Falsifiable Theory of Evolution.- I. Abstract.- II. Introduction.- III. The Tautology of Evolutionary Biology.- IV. The Tautology in Behaviorism.- V. A Resolution of the Tautology.- VI. Some Concluding Remarks.- VII. Acknowledgments.- VIII. References.- 4 Evolutionary, Proximate, and Functional Primate Social Ecology.- I. Abstract.- II. Introduction.- III. Evolutionary Social Ecology.- IV. Proximate Social Ecology.- V. Functional Social Ecology.- VI. Interdigitation of Evolutionary, Proximate, and Functional Social Ecology.- VII. Acknowledgments.- VIII. References.- 5 Social Structure and Individual Ontogenies: Problems of Description, Mechanism, and Evolution.- I. Abstract.- II. Introduction.- III. Ontogenetic Trajectories.- IV. Homeostasis or Steady State?.- V. Evolution of Maturational Controls.- VI. Conclusion.- VII. Acknowledgments.- VIII. Appendix.- IX. References.- 6 On a Possible Relation Between Cultural Transmission and Genetical Evolution.- I. Abstract.- II. Introduction.- III. Components of Intelligence.- IV. Habit and Instinct.- V. Assimilative Selection.- VI. Evolution of Intelligence.- VII. Acknowledgments.- VIII. References.- 7 The Behavior of Organisms, as it is Linked to Genes and Populations.- I. Abstract.- II. Introduction.- III. Integrative Levels in Biology.- IV. Behavior: The Interaction of the Organism with Its Environment.- V. Integrative Levels in the Evolutionary Process.- VI. Acknowledgments.- VII. References.- 8 From Causations to Translations: What Biochemists can Contribute to the Study of Behavior.- I. Abstract.- II. On Levels of Analysis.- III. The Objects of Behavioral Study.- IV. The Inadequacy of Systems Approaches.- V. The Hazards of Reification.- VI. The Reductionist Fallacy.- VII. Springing the Trap?.- VIII. From Causes to Translations.- IX. Theory into Practice.- X. Acknowledgments.- XI. References.- 9 Behavior and the Physical World of an Animal.- I. Abstract.- II. The Parameters of Concern.- III. The Physical World Comes First.- IV. Size and the Physical World.- V. Behavior and the Flow of Fluids.- VI. Remarks in Conclusion.- VII. References.- 10 Escalated Fighting and the War of Nerves: Games Theory and Animal Combat.- I. Abstract.- II. Introduction.- III. Escalation in Contests.- IV. Games Theory and Animal Contests.- A. Some Basic Ideas.- B. A Simple Model: The War of Attrition.- C. Models with Escalation.- D. Hawks and Doves.- E. “Explanation” by Models.- F. A Benefit of Destructive Combat?.- G. The War of Nerves.- H. Is Risk Important?.- I. Contests with Small Injuries.- J. Contests as Random Walks.- V. Discussion.- VI. Acknowledgments.- VII. References.- 11 Science and the Law: A Muddled Interface.

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Book SynopsisThis book is the first major study of what was probably the most important centre or pre-Darwinian evolutionary thought in the British Isles. It sheds new light on the genesis and development of one of the most important scientific theories in the history of western thought.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Edinburgh's university and medical schools in the early nineteenth century The legacy of the Scottish Enlightenment The University of Edinburgh at the beginning of the nineteenth century The University of Edinburgh's medical school Edinburgh's extra-mural anatomy schools Chapter 3: Natural History in Edinburgh, 1779-1832 Natural history in Edinburgh in the late eighteenth century Robert Jameson and the chair of natural history Comparative anatomy at the extra-mural medical schools Natural history, scientific and medical societies Natural history and science journals Chapter 4: Geology and evolution The Wernerian model of earth history Wernerians and Huttonians in Edinburgh The story of life as a tale of progressive development Wernerian geology and transformism Werner, Lamarck and Geoffroy in Edinburgh Chapter 5: Edinburgh and Paris Contemporary transformism in France: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire Lamarck in Scotland The impact of Geoffroy's theories in Edinburgh Chapter 6: The legacy of the 'Edinburgh Lamarckians' The eclipse of transformism in Edinburgh Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation Transmutation without progress: Robert Knox and Hewett Cottrell Watson The legacy of Darwin's Edinburgh years Chapter 7: Conclusion Bibliography; Unpublished primary sources; Published primary sources; Secondary sources

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