Animal Signals

John Maynard Smith, David Harper - Collection Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution

166 pages, parution le 09/02/2004

Ajouter à une liste

Indisponible

Résumé

Why are most animal signals reliable? This is the central problem for evolutionary biologists interested in signals. A number of theoretical answers have been proposed and empirical studies made, but a considerable amount of confusion still remains. The authors, one a theoretician the other a fieldworker, introduce a sense of order to this chaos.

They disentangle the complex and often confusing terminology that characterises the subject, and then challenge the widely held assumption that there is only one correct explanation for signal reliability. The authors argue that the reliability of signals is maintained in several ways, relevant in different circumstances, and that biologists must learn to distinguish between them. In this book they explain the different theories, give examples of signalling systems to which one or another theory applies, and point to the many areas where further work, both theoretical and empirical, is required.

John Maynard Smith is without question one of the most influential scientists of his generation and his theories have transformed our understanding of animal behaviour, whilst David Harper is a renowned field ecologist. Animal signals are one of the hottest and most controversial subjects in this field, and are also of major importance to an understanding of human behaviour and the evolution of language.

Readership: Researchers and graduate students studying animal communication, animal behavior, psychology and evolutionary biology.

L'auteur - John Maynard Smith

John Maynard Smith présente ici, de façon simple et illustrée, les arguments et les faits qui fondent chacun de ces points de vue. Son regard nuancé, critique et malicieux éclaire pour le grand public la portée de ce débat des plus actuels, et le replace dans son cadre indiscutable : la théorie darwinienne de l'évolution.

School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex at Brighton, UK

L'auteur - David Harper

School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex at Brighton, UK

Sommaire

Introduction - what are signals?
The theory of costly signalling
Strategic signals and minimal cost signals
Indices of quality
The evolution of signal form
Signals during contests
Signals in primates and other social animals

Glossary of scientific names
References
Author index
Subject index

Voir tout

Replier

Caractéristiques techniques

	PAPIER
Éditeur(s)	Oxford University Press
Auteur(s)	John Maynard Smith, David Harper
Collection	Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution
Parution	09/02/2004
Nb. de pages	166
Format	15,5 x 23
Couverture	Broché
Poids	320g
Intérieur	Noir et Blanc
EAN13	9780198526858
ISBN13	978-0-19-852685-8