Tinbergen's Legacy: Function and Mechanism in Behavioral Biology

Nobel laureate Niko Tinbergen laid the foundations for the scientific study of animal behavior with his work on causation, development, function and evolution. In this book, an international cast of leading animal biologists reflect on the enduring significance of Tinbergen's groundbreaking proposals for modern behavioral biology. It includes a reprint of Tinbergen's original article on the famous "four whys" and a contemporary introduction, after which each of the four questions are discussed in the light of contemporary evidence. Also discussed is the wider significance of recent trends in evolutionary psychology and neuroecology to integrate the "four whys". With a foreword by one of Tinbergen's most prominent pupils, Aubrey Manning, this wide-ranging book demonstrates that Tinbergen's views on animal behavior are crucial for modern behavioral biology. It will appeal to graduate students and researchers in animal behavior, behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology.