Nerve Cells and Animal Behaviour (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780521899772)

An extensively revised third edition of this introduction to neuroethology - the neuronal basis of animal behaviour - for zoology, biology and psychology undergraduate students. The book focuses on the roles of individual nerve cells in behaviour, from simple startle responses to complex behaviours such as route learning by rats and singing by crickets and birds. It begins by examining the relationship between brains and behaviour, and showing how study of specialised behaviours reveals neuronal mechanisms that control behaviour. Information processing by nerve cells is introduced using specific examples, and the establishing roles of neurons in behaviour is described for a predator-prey interaction, toads versus cockroaches. New material includes: vision by insects, which describes sensory filtering; hunting by owls and bats, which describes sensory maps; and rhythmical movements including swimming and flying, which describes how sequences of movements are generated. Includes stunning photographs which capture the detail of the behaviour.

Author: Peter Simmons, David Young
ISBN-10: 052189977X
ISBN-13: 9780521899772
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 05/27/2010
Pages: 292
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.75lbs
Size: 9.70h x 7.60w x 0.70d