Visual Ecology (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780691151847)

Visual ecology is the study of how animals use visual systems to meet their ecological needs, how these systems have evolved, and how they are specialized for particular visual tasks. Visual Ecology provides the first up-to-date synthesis of the field to appear in more than three decades. Featuring some 225 illustrations, including more than 140 in color, spread throughout the text, this comprehensive and accessible book begins by discussing the basic properties of light and the optical environment. It then looks at how photoreceptors intercept light and convert it to usable biological signals, how the pigments and cells of vision vary among animals, and how the properties of these components affect a given receptor's sensitivity to light. The book goes on to examine how eyes and photoreceptors become specialized for an array of visual tasks, such as navigation, evading prey, mate choice, and communication.A timely and much-needed resource for students and researchers alike, Visual Ecology also includes a glossary and a wealth of examples drawn from the full diversity of visual systems.The most up-to-date overview of visual ecology availableFeatures some 225 illustrations, including more than 140 in color, spread throughout the textGuides readers from the basic physics of light to the role of visual systems in animal behaviorIncludes a glossary and a wealth of real-world examples"

Author: Thomas W. Cronin, Ske Johnsen, Justin Marshall
ISBN-10: 0691151849
ISBN-13: 9780691151847
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Language: English
Published: 08/10/2014
Pages: 432
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 2.77lbs
Size: 10.67h x 6.97w x 0.92d
Award: PROSE - Winner

Review Citation(s):
Choice 02/01/2015 pg. 999