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Author: James L. Gould
Publisher: Basic Books (AZ)
Published: 2007-03-13
Total Pages: 338
ISBN-13: 0465027822
DOWNLOAD EBOOKLooks at why animals build, explores the building processes of a variety of species, and discusses how a study of animal building behavior can provides an understanding of the human mind.
Author: Michael Henry Hansell
Publisher: Longman Publishing Group
Published: 1984
Total Pages: 352
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKAuthor: Mike Hansell
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Published: 2007-10-18
Total Pages: 280
ISBN-13: 0191578606
DOWNLOAD EBOOKFrom termite mounds that in relative terms are three times as tall as a skyscraper, to the elaborate nests of social birds and the deadly traps of spiders, the constructions of the animal world can amaze and at times humble our own engineering and technology. But how do creatures with such small brains build these complex structures? What drives them to do it? Which skills are innate and which learned? Here, Mike Hansell looks at the extraordinary structures that animals build - whether homes, traps, or courtship displays - and reveals the biology behind their behaviour. He shows how small-brained animals achieve complex feats in a small-brained way, by repeating many simple actions and using highly evolved self-secreted materials. On the other hand, the building feats or tool use of large-brained animals, such as humans or chimps, require significantly more complex and costly behaviour. We look at wasp's nests, leaf-cutting ants, caddisflies and amoebae, and even the extraordinary bower bird, who seduces his mate with a decorated pile of twigs, baubles, feathers and berries. Hansell explores how animal structures evolved over time, how insect societies emerge, how animals can alter their wider habitat, and even whether some animals have an aesthetic sense.
Author: Mike Hansell
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Published: 2007-10-18
Total Pages: 280
ISBN-13: 0199205566
DOWNLOAD EBOOKFrom vast termite mounds that outstrip our own skyscrapers, to elaborate birds nests, delicate shells, and deadly spiders' traps, the constructions of the animal world can amaze and at times humble our own engineering and technology. Mike Hansell reveals the biology behind animal architecture - showing how small brains have evolved to produce complex and beautiful structures.
Author: Mike Hansell
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2000-08-31
Total Pages: 302
ISBN-13: 9781139429085
DOWNLOAD EBOOKBird Nests and Construction Behaviour provides a broad view of our understanding of the biology of the nests, bowers and tools made by birds. It illustrates how, among vertebrates, the building abilities of birds are more impressive and consistent than for any other builders other than ourselves, yet birds seem to require no special equipment, and use quite uncomplicated behaviour. In doing so, the book raises general issues in the field of behavioural ecology including the costs of reproduction, sexual selection and the organisation and complexity of behaviour. Written for students and researchers of animal behaviour, behavioural ecology and ornithology, it will nevertheless make fascinating reading for architects and engineers interested in understanding how structures are created by animals.
Author: Ingo Arndt
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Published: 2014-04-22
Total Pages: 0
ISBN-13: 9781419711657
DOWNLOAD EBOOKCollects photographs of structures created by animals, from the six-foot-high hills of tiny red ants to the colorfully decorated courtship arenas of the bowerbird, showcasing the connections between human and animal architecture.
Author: Michael Henry Hansell
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 2005-01-27
Total Pages: 335
ISBN-13: 0198507526
DOWNLOAD EBOOKConstruction behaviour occurs across the entire spectrum of the animal kingdom and affects the survival of both builders and other organisms associated with them. Animal Architecture provides a comprehensive overview of the biology of animal building. The book recognizes three broad categories of built structure: homes, traps, and courtship displays. Even though some of these structures are complex and very large, the behaviour required to build them is generally simple andthe anatomy for building unspecialized. Standardization of building materials helps to keep building repertoires simple, while self-organizing effects help create complexity. In a case-study approach to function, insects demonstrate how homes can remain operational while they grow, spiderwebs illustratemechanical design, and the displays of bowerbirds raise the possibility of persuasion through design rather than just decoration. Studies of the costs to builders provide evidence of optimal designs and of trade-offs with other life history traits. As ecosystem engineers, the influence of builders is extensive and their effect is generally to enhance biodiversity through niche construction. Animal builders can therefore represent model species for the study of the emerging subject ofenvironmental inheritance. Building, and in particular building with silk, has been demonstrated to have important evolutionary consequences.This book is intended for students and researchers in comparative animal biology, but will also be of relevance and use to the increasing numbers of architects and civil engineers interested in developing ideas from the animal kingdom.
Author: Magnus Enquist
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2005-09-04
Total Pages: 276
ISBN-13: 9780691096339
DOWNLOAD EBOOKHow can we make better sense of animal behavior by using what we know about the brain? This is the first book that attempts to answer this important question by applying neural network theory. Scientists create Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to make models of the brain. These networks mimic the architecture of a nervous system by connecting elementary neuron-like units into networks in which they stimulate or inhibit each other's activity in much the same way neurons do. This book shows how scientists can employ ANNs to analyze animal behavior, explore the general principles of the nervous systems, and test potential generalizations among species. The authors focus on simple neural networks to show how ANNs can be investigated by math and by computers. They demonstrate intuitive concepts that make the operation of neural networks more accessible to nonspecialists. The first chapter introduces various approaches to animal behavior and provides an informal introduction to neural networks, their history, and their potential advantages. The second chapter reviews artificial neural networks, including biological foundations, techniques, and applications. The following three chapters apply neural networks to such topics as learning and development, classical instrumental condition, and the role of genes in building brain networks. The book concludes by comparing neural networks to other approaches. It will appeal to students of animal behavior in many disciplines. It will also interest neurobiologists, cognitive scientists, and those from other fields who wish to learn more about animal behavior.
Author: Karl von Frisch
Publisher:
Published: 1975
Total Pages: 306
ISBN-13: 9780091227104
DOWNLOAD EBOOKAuthor: Peter Goodfellow
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2011-06-05
Total Pages: 83
ISBN-13: 069114849X
DOWNLOAD EBOOKExamines the nests that birds build around the world, including illustrations of each nest type's construction, descriptions of the materials and techniques used during the process, and case studies on specific birds' habitats.
