At first sight just a small brown bird, the dunnock's unobtrusive appearance belies its extraordinary behaviour and mating patterns. In this book Nick Davies gives a full account of the mating systems of the dunnock or hedge sparrow, Prunella modularis, which include pairs, a male with twofemales, two males with one female, and several males with several females. Detailed observations, elegant field experiments, and DNA fingerprinting are combined to show how this variable social organization arises from selfish individuals competing to maximize their own reproductive success.Further experiments reveal how the cuckoo may thwart the dunnock's parental efforts. David Quinn's exquisite drawings provide a visual summary of the birds' behaviour. All students of ecology, evolution, and animal behaviour will want to be familiar with this work, which addresses the wider issuesof the influence of ecology on mating systems and the evolutionary significance of conflict within and between species. This is the third volume in the Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution, and the first in this series to tackle behavioural ecology. Nick Davies is a Lecturer in Zoology at the University of Cambridge and co-editor with J.R. Krebs of the leading text in the field, Behavioural Ecology: An EvolutionaryApproach.

Dunnock Behaviour and Social Evolution (Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution)

Literature & Fiction

Davies, N.B.

Essays & Correspondence

Oxford University Press

At first sight just a small brown bird, the dunnock's unobtrusive appearance belies its extraordinary behavior and mating patterns. This book gives a full account of the mating systems of the dunnock or hedge sparrow, Prunella modularis, which include pairs, a male with two females, two males with one female, and several males with several females. Detailed observations, elegant field experiments, and DNA fingerprinting are combined to show how this variable social organization arises from selfish individuals competing to maximize their own reproductive success. Further experiments reveal how the cuckoo may thwart the dunnock's parental efforts. David Quinn's exquisite drawings provide a visual summary of the bird's behavior. All students of ecology, evolution, and animal behavior will want to be familiar with this work, which addresses the wider issues of the influence of ecology on mating systems and the evolutionary significance of conflict within and between species. This is the third volume in the Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution, and the first in this series to address behavioral ecology.

OUP Oxford

The third edition of this successful textbook looks again at the influence of natural selection on behavior - an animal's struggle to survive by exploiting resources, avoiding predators, and maximizing reproductive success. In this edition, new examples are introduced throughout, many illustrated with full color photographs. In addition, important new topics are added including the latest techniques of comparative analysis, the theory and application of DNA fingerprinting techniques, extensive new discussion on brood parasite/host coevolution, the latest ideas on sexual selection in relation to disease resistance, and a new section on the intentionality of communication. Written in the lucid style for which these two authors are renowned, the text is enhanced by boxed sections illustrating important concepts and new marginal notes that guide the reader through the text. This book will be essential reading for students taking courses in behavioral ecology. 
<ul> <li>The leading introductory text from the two most prominent workers in the field. 
</li> <li>Second colour in the text. 
</li> <li>New section of four colour plates. 
</li> <li>Boxed sections to ilustrate difficult and important points. 
</li> <li>New larger format with marginal notes to guide the reader through the text. 
</li> <li>Selected further reading at the end of each chapter.</li> </ul>

An Introduction to Behavioural Ecology

Science & Math

Krebs, J. R

Biological Sciences

Blackwell Pub.

Behavioural Ecology: An Evolutionary Approach

Behavioural ecology: An evolutionary approach

Sinauer Associates

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