The first booklength exploration of behavioral mechanisms in evolutionaryecology this ambitious volume illuminates longstanding questions about causeandeffect r... » 

The first booklength exploration of behavioral mechanisms in evolutionaryecology this ambitious volume illuminates longstanding questions about causeandeffect relations between an animals behavior and its environment. Byfocusing on biological mechanismsthe sum of an animals cognitive neuraldevelopmental and hormonal processesleading researchers demonstrate how theintegrated study of animal physiology cognitive processes and socialinteraction can yield an enriched understanding of behavior.With studies of species ranging from insects to primates the contributorsexamine how various animals identify and use environmental resources and dealwith ecological constraints as well as the roles of learning communicationand cognitive aspects of social interaction in behavioral evolution. Takentogether the chapters demonstrate how the study of internal mechanisticfoundations of behavior in relation to their ecological and evolutionarycontexts and outcomes provides valuable insight into such behaviors aspredation mating and dispersal.Behavioral Mechanisms in Evolutionary Ecology shows how a mechanistic approachunites various levels of biological organization to provide a broaderunderstanding of the biological bases of behavioral evolution. «