The Secret Perfume of Birds

The Secret Perfume of Birds PDF Author: Danielle J. Whittaker
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421443481
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 195

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Book Description
The untold story of a stunning discovery: not only can birds smell, but their scents may be the secret to understanding their world. The puzzling lack of evidence for the peculiar but widespread belief that birds have no sense of smell irked evolutionary biologist Danielle Whittaker. Exploring the science behind the myth led her on an unexpected quest investigating mysteries from how juncos win a fight to why cowbirds smell like cookies. In The Secret Perfume of Birds—part science, part intellectual history, and part memoir—Whittaker blends humor, clear writing, and a compelling narrative to describe how scent is important not just for birds but for all animals, including humans. Whittaker engagingly describes how emerging research has uncovered birds' ability to produce complex chemical signals that influence their behavior, including where they build nests, when they pick a fight, and why they fly away. Mate choice, or sexual selection—a still enigmatic aspect of many animals' lives—appears to be particularly influenced by smell. Whittaker's pioneering studies suggest that birds' sexy (and scary) signals are produced by symbiotic bacteria that manufacture scents in the oil that birds stroke on their feathers when preening. From tangerine-scented auklets to her beloved juncos, redolent of moss, birds from across the world feature in Whittaker's stories, but she also examines the smelly chemicals of all kinds of creatures, from iguanas and bees to monkeys and humans. Readers will enjoy a rare opportunity to witness the twisting roads scientific research can take, especially the challenging, hilarious, and occasionally dangerous realities of ornithology in the wild. The Secret Perfume of Birds will interest anyone looking to learn more about birds, about how animals and humans use our senses, and about why it can sometimes take a rebel scientist to change what we think we know for sure about the world—and ourselves.

The Secret Perfume of Birds

The Secret Perfume of Birds PDF Author: Danielle J. Whittaker
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421443481
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 195

Get Book Here

Book Description
The untold story of a stunning discovery: not only can birds smell, but their scents may be the secret to understanding their world. The puzzling lack of evidence for the peculiar but widespread belief that birds have no sense of smell irked evolutionary biologist Danielle Whittaker. Exploring the science behind the myth led her on an unexpected quest investigating mysteries from how juncos win a fight to why cowbirds smell like cookies. In The Secret Perfume of Birds—part science, part intellectual history, and part memoir—Whittaker blends humor, clear writing, and a compelling narrative to describe how scent is important not just for birds but for all animals, including humans. Whittaker engagingly describes how emerging research has uncovered birds' ability to produce complex chemical signals that influence their behavior, including where they build nests, when they pick a fight, and why they fly away. Mate choice, or sexual selection—a still enigmatic aspect of many animals' lives—appears to be particularly influenced by smell. Whittaker's pioneering studies suggest that birds' sexy (and scary) signals are produced by symbiotic bacteria that manufacture scents in the oil that birds stroke on their feathers when preening. From tangerine-scented auklets to her beloved juncos, redolent of moss, birds from across the world feature in Whittaker's stories, but she also examines the smelly chemicals of all kinds of creatures, from iguanas and bees to monkeys and humans. Readers will enjoy a rare opportunity to witness the twisting roads scientific research can take, especially the challenging, hilarious, and occasionally dangerous realities of ornithology in the wild. The Secret Perfume of Birds will interest anyone looking to learn more about birds, about how animals and humans use our senses, and about why it can sometimes take a rebel scientist to change what we think we know for sure about the world—and ourselves.

Pheromones and Animal Behavior

Pheromones and Animal Behavior PDF Author: Tristram D. Wyatt
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521112907
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 425

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Book Description
This book explains how animals use chemical communication, emphasising the evolutionary context and covering fields from ecology to neuroscience and chemistry.

The Neurobiology of Olfaction

The Neurobiology of Olfaction PDF Author: Anna Menini
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1420071998
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 438

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Book Description
Comprehensive Overview of Advances in OlfactionThe common belief is that human smell perception is much reduced compared with other mammals, so that whatever abilities are uncovered and investigated in animal research would have little significance for humans. However, new evidence from a variety of sources indicates this traditional view is likely

Evolution of Nervous Systems

Evolution of Nervous Systems PDF Author: Georg F. Striedter
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128040963
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 2064

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Book Description
Evolution of Nervous Systems, Second Edition, Four Volume Set is a unique, major reference which offers the gold standard for those interested both in evolution and nervous systems. All biology only makes sense when seen in the light of evolution, and this is especially true for the nervous system. All animals have nervous systems that mediate their behaviors, many of them species specific, yet these nervous systems all evolved from the simple nervous system of a common ancestor. To understand these nervous systems, we need to know how they vary and how this variation emerged in evolution. In the first edition of this important reference work, over 100 distinguished neuroscientists assembled the current state-of-the-art knowledge on how nervous systems have evolved throughout the animal kingdom. This second edition remains rich in detail and broad in scope, outlining the changes in brain and nervous system organization that occurred from the first invertebrates and vertebrates, to present day fishes, reptiles, birds, mammals, and especially primates, including humans. The book also includes wholly new content, fully updating the chapters in the previous edition and offering brand new content on current developments in the field. Each of the volumes has been carefully restructured to offer expanded coverage of non-mammalian taxa, mammals, primates, and the human nervous system. The basic principles of brain evolution are discussed, as are mechanisms of change. The reader can select from chapters on highly specific topics or those that provide an overview of current thinking and approaches, making this an indispensable work for students and researchers alike. Presents a broad range of topics, ranging from genetic control of development in invertebrates, to human cognition, offering a one-stop resource for the evolution of nervous systems throughout the animal kingdom Incorporates the expertise of over 100 outstanding investigators who provide their conclusions in the context of the latest experimental results Presents areas of disagreement and consensus views that provide a holistic view of the subjects under discussion

Avian Physiology

Avian Physiology PDF Author: Paul D. Sturkie
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461248620
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 528

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Book Description
Since the publication of earlier editions, there has been The new edition has a number of new contributors, a considerable increase in research activity ina number who have written on the nervous system, sense organs, of areas, with each succeeding edition including new muscle, endocrines, reproduction, digestion and immu chapters and an expansion of knowledge in older chap nophysiology. Contributors from previous editions ters. have expanded their offerings considerably. The fourth edition contains two new chapters, on The authors are indebted to various investigators, muscle and immunophysiology, the latter an area journals and books for the many illustrations used. Indi where research on Aves has contributed significantly vidual acknowledgement is made in the legends and to our general knowledge of the subject. references. Preface to the 'Third Edition Since the publication of the first and second editions, pathways of birds and mammals. New contributors in there has been a considerable increase of research activ clude M. R. Fedde and T. B. Bolton, who have com ity in avian physiology in a number of areas, including pletely revised and expanded the chapters on respira endocrinology and reproduction, heart and circulation, tion and the nervous system, respectively, and J. G. respiration, temperature regulation, and to a lesser ex Rogers, Jr. , W. J. Mueller, H. Opel, and D. e. Meyer, who have made contributions to Chapters 2,16, 17, tent in some other areas. There appeared in 1972-1974 a four volume treatise and 19, respectively.

Avian Navigation

Avian Navigation PDF Author: F. Papi
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642686168
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 388

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Book Description
Right from the start of this century, field observations and the patient ringing of birds have made available a growing mass of data on the breeding and resting areas of migratory species and on the course, period and duration of their seasonal flights. Considered as a whole, this work on migration morphology commands admiration, and when view ed in detail it reveals fascinating insights into the extraordinary naviga tional performances of many bird species, which find their way over enormous distances. Yet only a few dozen physiologists are actively trying to answer the question of how these performances are achieved. Experimental work on migratory birds raises many difficulties, some of them insuperable, so that many researchers carry out their experiments on the homing pigeon, which is constantly motivated by homesickness and ready to display its ability to flyaway home. Many of the problems connected with bird navigation are still un solved, but a rapidly growing body of results is being produced along with a variety of new ideas and approaches. A clear majority of the stu dents of bird navigation met in September 1981 in Tirrenia, a seaside resort on the Tyrrhenian coast, where each of them offered new in sights into his or her recent investigations. Their contributions have been connected in this volume, which provides an up-to-date conspec tus of the stage reached by research in this field.

The Unfeathered Bird

The Unfeathered Bird PDF Author: Katrina van Grouw
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691151342
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
There is more to a bird than simply feathers. And just because birds evolved from a single flying ancestor doesn't mean they are structurally the same. With 385 stunning drawings depicting 200 species, The Unfeathered bird is a richly illustrated book on bird anatomy that offers refreshingly original insights into what goes on beneath the feathered surface.

Olfaction and Odours

Olfaction and Odours PDF Author: W. McCartney
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642876994
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
If we possessed a true, well established and undoubted theory concerning the function of the nerves in the human body, the principles of smell would be much easier to understand. So far, we do not know for certain whether the action of nerves takes place by means of a subtle fluid, which is instantaneously conveyed from the beginning of the nerves to their ends, or whether, as some think, some sort of vibratory movements is produced in them, or whether the stimulation should be considered as the only sufficient cause, to say nothing of the new opinion concerning the electrical force. Linnaeus Although much has been learned since the time of Linnaeus, it is still true that we do not yet possess "a true, well established and undoubted" theory of olfaction. The literature of the subject, however, has long been rather voluminous - the frequent assertions to the contrary are simply untrue - and is now growing rapidly. Moreover, quite a number of symposia on olfaction (or olfaction and taste) have been held during recent years. For example, in the U. S. A.

Chemosensory Transduction

Chemosensory Transduction PDF Author: Frank Zufall
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128017864
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 432

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Book Description
Written by leaders in the field of chemosensation, Chemosensory Transduction provides a comprehensive resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms that allow animals to detect their chemical world. The text focuses on mammals, but also includes several chapters on chemosensory transduction mechanisms in lower vertebrates and insects. This book examines transduction mechanisms in the olfactory, taste, and somatosensory (chemesthetic) systems as well as in a variety of internal sensors that are responsible for homeostatic regulation of the body. Chapters cover such topics as social odors in mammals, vertebrate and invertebrate olfactory receptors, peptide signaling in taste and gut nutrient sensing. Includes a foreword by preeminent olfactory scientist Stuart Firestein, Chair of Columbia University's Department of Biological Sciences in New York, NY. Chemosensory Transduction describes state-of-the-art approaches and key findings related to the study of the chemical senses. Thus, it serves as the go-to reference for this subject for practicing scientists and students with backgrounds in sensory biology and/or neurobiology. The volume will also be valuable for industry researchers engaged in the design or testing of flavors, fragrances, foods and/or pharmaceuticals. - Provides a comprehensive overview for all chemosensory transduction mechanisms - Valuable for academics focused on sensory biology, neurobiology, and chemosensory transduction, as well as industry researchers in new flavor, fragrance, and food testing - Edited by leading experts in the field of olfactory transduction - Focuses on mammals, but lower vertebrates and invertebrate model systems are also included

Nose Knows

Nose Knows PDF Author: Emmanuelle Figueras
Publisher: Wild Ways
ISBN: 9781912920068
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 38

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Book Description
Take a fresh look at the world from an animal's perspective. Anything is possible when you follow your nose! In this fun flap-filled book, you'll learn how smell plays a key role in the lives of animals and shapes their behaviour and relationships. Each flap reveals the hidden side to each environment only perceptible through smell. Watch a polar bear track its prey beneath the ice, join a column of marching ants and learn how to say hello to a family of forest piglets.