Why do birds have regional accents? Can horses learn mathematics? What do animals without eyes see? How do salmon return to their spawning grounds? How does the Syrian desert hamster know where its burrow is, after hours of foraging in the pitch black desert night?
Ethology – the study of animal behaviour – has thrown up these and many other fascinating questions for scientists and nature lovers alike, since it became a science in the 1970s. More recently, as issues of conservation and animal welfare have become more prevalent, an understanding of how and why animals act the way they do has become even more critical.
Drawing together evolutionary theory, ecology, population biology, genetics, physiology and anatomy, Professor of Zoology and Animal Behaviour Society fellow, John Byers, explains the mechanisms and motivations behind a range of animal movements. This is recommended for secondary and university students, fellow scientists and wildlife enthusiasts everywhere.
Anne Peters