Dunnock Behaviour and Social Evolution (Oxford Series in Ecology & Evolution) [Paperback]

N. B. Davies (Author), David Quinn (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 24, 1992 | Series: Oxford Series in Ecology & Evolution

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The organization and integration of these topics makes the book useful even to those familiar with his work. It should be particularly instructive for students, because the work addresses questions typical of the general field of behavioral ecology and demonstrates the value of combining experiment and description." --Nature

"Davies' ten-year study combines theory and field observation to examine basic questions in behavioral ecology and sociobiology. His unifying theme is the relationship between gender roles and conflicts, mating systems, and parental care, which assure an adequate supply of baby dunnocks for future generations. Must reading for behavioral scientists." --Choice

"Davies summarizes a decade of work analyzing how the different mating systems of dunnocks arise and their social and reproductive consequences . . . . Provides an engaging introduction to current questions about the evolution of mating systems, a model of what can be achieved by a judicious blend of field observation and experimentation, and a salutary reminder that solutions to important problems in behavioral ecology may reside in one's own back yard." --Science

"Splendid. . . . the book is an easy way to learn all about Davies' Dunnocks at once, and I rather enjoyed reading it this way. Davies' writing style is charming and I found the book . . . engaging. . . . he asked all the right questions for our times. . . . well argued . . . carefully constructed . . . one of the best-ever studies in behavioral ecology and social evolution." --The Condor

About the Author

Nick Davies is a Lecturer in Zoology at the University of Cambridge and co-editor with J. R. Krebs of the leading text in this field, Behavioural Ecology: An Evolutionary Approach.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 24, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198546750
• ISBN-13: 978-0198546757
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,574,581 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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