Avoiding attack : the evolutionary ecology of crypsis, warning signals and mimicry / Graeme D. Ruxton, Thomas N. Sherratt and Michael P. Speed.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ruxton, Graeme D.

Contributor:

Sherratt, Thomas N.

Speed, Michael Patrick.

Series:

Oxford biology.

Oxford biology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Animal defenses.

Evolution.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (262 p.)

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2004.

Summary:

This book discusses the diversity of mechanisms by which prey avoid attack by predators and explores how such defensive mechanisms have evolved through natural selection. It considers how potential prey avoid detection, how they make themselves unprofitable to attack, how they signal their unprofitability, and how other species have exploited these signals. Using carefully selected examples drawn from a wide range of species and ecosystems, the authors present a critical analysisof the most important published works in the field. Illustrative examples of camouflage, mimicry and warning signals

Contents:

Contents; Introduction; Part I: Avoiding detection; Chapter 1: Background matching; 1.1 Why crypsis?; 1.2 Industrial melanism in Biston betularia; 1.3 Background is a multivariate entity; 1.4 Combining background matching with other functions; 1.5 Flicker fusion; 1.6 Polymorphism of background matching forms; 1.7 Coping with multiple backgrounds; 1.8 Masquerade; 1.9 Conclusion; Chapter 2: Disruptive colouration; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Separating disruptive colouration from background matching; 2.3 Empirical evidence; 2.4 Conclusion; Chapter 3: Countershading and counterillumination

3.1 Introduction3.2 Self-shadow concealment and countershading; 3.3 Direct empirical tests of the advantages of countershading; 3.4 Indirect evidence; 3.5 Countershading in aerial, aquatic, and terrestrial systems; 3.6 Conclusion; Chapter 4: Transparency and silvering; 4.1 Transparent objects still reflect and refract; 4.2 More reasons why perfect transparency need not translate to perfect crypsis; 4.3 Imperfect transparency can be effective at low light levels; 4.4 Some parts of an organism cannot be made transparent; 4.5 The distribution of transparency across habitats

4.6 Silvering as a form of crypsis4.7 Conclusion; Part II: Avoiding attack after detection; Chapter 5: Secondary defences; 5.1 The diversity of secondary defences; 5.2 Costs and benefits of some behavioural and morphological secondary defences; 5.3 Chemical defences; 5.4 Costs, benefits, and forms of defence; 5.5 The evolution of defences; 5.6 Summary and conclusion; Chapter 6: Signalling to predators; 6.1 Introduction; 6.2 Signalling that an approaching predator has been detected; 6.3 Signalling that the prey individual is intrinsically difficult to catch; 6.4 Summary of theoretical work

6.5 Empirical evidence from predators6.6 Studies where predator behaviour is not reported; 6.7 Conclusion; Chapter 7: The form and function of warning displays; 7.1 Characteristics of aposematic warning displays; 7.2 Design of aposematic displays I: why conspicuousness?; 7.3 Design of aposematic displays II: the psychological properties of predators; 7.4 Co-evolution: which came first, conspicuousness or special psychological responses to conspicuousness?; 7.5 Conclusion: designing a warning display; Chapter 8: The initial evolution of warning displays

8.1 The initial evolution of aposematism: the problem8.2 Stochastic-deterministic scenarios; 8.3 Spatial aggregation; 8.4 More complex population and predator models for aposematism; 8.5 Individual selection models; 8.6 Evaluations of predator psychology models; 8.7 Alternatives to the rare conspicuous mutant scenario; 8.8 Phylogeny and evolutionary history; 8.9 The evolution of aposematism: a trivial question with interesting answers?; Chapter 9: The evolution and maintenance of Müllerian mimicry; 9.1 Where Müllerian mimicry fits in; 9.2 Chapter outline

9.3 A brief early history of Müllerian mimicry

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-4356-3085-8

1-280-75396-X

9786610753963

0-19-152377-1

OCLC:

192146725