Geographic Variation in Behavior: Perspectives on Evolutionary Mechanisms

"Traditional methods for studying animal behaviour usually compare variation between species. The behavioural characterization of species is typically based on single populations because ethologists assumed that behavioural patterns did not vary within species. However, recent studies on a diversity of behavioural traits in many animal groups suggest that geographical variation is common. . . . This book . . . explores some of the richness in phenomena, interpretations and problems that can arise in geographical studies of behaviour. . . . Geographic Variation in Behavior is an important contribution to the critical and growing interface between behaviour and evolution. . . . It is well presented and provides excellent reviews of pertinent literature, the illustrations are informative and concise, and the coverage of contemporary work is uniformly high. Researchers of animal behaviour and behavioural ecologists would do very well to sample this volume."--Animal Behaviour "Traditional methods for studying animal behaviour usually compare variation between species. The behavioural characterization of species is typically based on single populations because ethologists assumed that behavioural patterns did not vary within species. However, recent studies on a diversity of behavioural traits in many animal groups suggest that geographical variation is common. . . . This book . . . explores some of the richness in phenomena, interpretations and problems that can arise in geographical studies of behaviour. . . . Geographic Variation in Behavior is an important contribution to the critical and growing interface between behaviour and evolution. . . . It is well presented and provides excellent reviews of pertinent literature, the illustrations are informative and concise, and the coverage of contemporary work is uniformly high. Researchers of animal behaviour and behavioural ecologists would do very well to sample this volume."--Animal Behaviour