Featuring 12 articles drawn from Scientific American, this collection reflects the contribution of studies in behaviour and ecology to our understanding of birds. The collection also indicates how important new techniques from such disciplines as molecular biology and neurobiology have been applied to longstanding ornithological questions. Birds have often been the subject of studies leading to far-reaching theories in animal behaviour - particularly in the areas of sexual selection, inclusive fitness, and optimal foraging. View More...
Sibling rivalry and intergenerational conflict are not limited to human beings. Among seals and piglets, storks and burying beetles, in bird nests and beehives, from apples to humans, family conflicts can be deadly serious, determining who will survive and who will perish. When offspring compete for scarce resources, sibling rivalry kicks in automatically. Parents sometimes play favourites or even kill their young. In More Than Kin and Less Than Kind, Douglas Mock tells us what scientists have discovered about this disturbing side of family dynamics in the natural world. Natural selection oper... View More...
