Visual Ecology

Visual Ecology PDF Author: Thomas W. Cronin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691151849
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 427

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Book Description
A comprehensive treatment of visual ecology 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 available Features some 225 illustrations, including more than 140 in color, spread throughout the text Guides readers from the basic physics of light to the role of visual systems in animal behavior Includes a glossary and a wealth of real-world examples

Visual Ecology

Visual Ecology PDF Author: Thomas W. Cronin
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691151849
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 427

Get Book Here

Book Description
A comprehensive treatment of visual ecology 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 available Features some 225 illustrations, including more than 140 in color, spread throughout the text Guides readers from the basic physics of light to the role of visual systems in animal behavior Includes a glossary and a wealth of real-world examples

The Senses: A Comprehensive Reference

The Senses: A Comprehensive Reference PDF Author:
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128054093
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 5215

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Book Description
The Senses: A Comprehensive Reference, Second Edition, Seven Volume Set is a comprehensive reference work covering the range of topics that constitute current knowledge of the neural mechanisms underlying the different senses. This important work provides the most up-to-date, cutting-edge, comprehensive reference combining volumes on all major sensory modalities in one set. Offering 264 chapters from a distinguished team of international experts, The Senses lays out current knowledge on the anatomy, physiology, and molecular biology of sensory organs, in a collection of comprehensive chapters spanning 4 volumes. Topics covered include the perception, psychophysics, and higher order processing of sensory information, as well as disorders and new diagnostic and treatment methods. Written for a wide audience, this reference work provides students, scholars, medical doctors, as well as anyone interested in neuroscience, a comprehensive overview of the knowledge accumulated on the function of sense organs, sensory systems, and how the brain processes sensory input. As with the first edition, contributions from leading scholars from around the world will ensure The Senses offers a truly international portrait of sensory physiology. The set is the definitive reference on sensory neuroscience and provides the ultimate entry point into the review and original literature in Sensory Neuroscience enabling students and scientists to delve into the subject and deepen their knowledge. All-inclusive coverage of topics: updated edition offers readers the only current reference available covering neurobiology, physiology, anatomy, and molecular biology of sense organs and the processing of sensory information in the brain Authoritative content: world-leading contributors provide readers with a reputable, dynamic and authoritative account of the topics under discussion Comprehensive-style content: in-depth, complex coverage of topics offers students at upper undergraduate level and above full insight into topics under discussion

Color in Nature

Color in Nature PDF Author: Justin Marshall
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691258619
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
A marvelously illustrated guide to color in the natural world Recent years have seen tremendous strides in the fields of vision, visual ecology, and our own multilayered experience of color in life and the world. These advances have been driven by astonishing discoveries in neuroscience and evolutionary biology as well as psychology and design. This beautifully illustrated book unlocks nature’s colorful purpose, revealing how creatures see color as well as shedding light on the important part that it plays in animal behavior, from reproduction and communication to aggression and defense. Color in Nature also places the human experience and uses of color in the context of all the colors around us, both in the natural world and in the world that we humans create for our own pleasure and purpose. A wide-ranging survey of a vibrant and compelling topic, Color in Nature will open your eyes to new ways of perceiving the world. Features a wealth of stunning color illustrations Explains what color is and how it happens Covers the physics, genetics, chemistry, physiology, and psychology of animal color perception Discusses colors humans don’t see or rarely use Sheds light on the evolution of colors for mating, hunting, fighting, deceiving, and hiding Provides insights into color blindness, bio-inspired colors, and people’s appreciation for art and design

Evolution of Visual and Non-visual Pigments

Evolution of Visual and Non-visual Pigments PDF Author: David M. Hunt
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1461443555
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 278

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Book Description
Photopigments are molecules that react to light and mediate a number of processes and behaviours in animals. Visual pigments housed within the photoreceptors of the eye, such as the rods and cones in vertebrates are the best known, however, visual pigments are increasingly being found in other tissues, including other retinal cells, the skin and the brain. Other closely related molecules from the G protein family, such as melanopsin mediate light driven processes including circadian rhythmicity and pupil constriction. This Volume examines the enormous diversity of visual pigments and traces the evolution of these G protein coupled receptors in both invertebrates and vertebrates in the context of the visual and non-visual demands dictated by a species’ ecological niche.

Animal Signals

Animal Signals PDF Author: Yngve Espmark
Publisher: Tapir Academic Press
ISBN: 9788251915458
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 504

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Book Description
How can we explain the peacock's beautiful tail decorations, or the wonderful song of the nightingale? Why are some smells nice and others nasty? How do animals signal their intentions and qualities to potential partners? How do offspring tell parents about their needs? Are signals tuned to the environment, and to the mental abilities of receivers? Essential for understanding how animals cope with their ecological and social environment, the study of animal signals is one of the most active research areas in evolutionary biology. Understanding the signalling systems of nature has wide-ranging relevance including biological conservation and human communication. Written by international scientists, this is a comprehensive overview of the fascinating diversity of animal signals and signalling functions. Combining reviews and research, the book is aimed at both students and professional scientists.

Escaping From Predators

Escaping From Predators PDF Author: William E. Cooper, Jr
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316368483
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 459

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Book Description
When a predator attacks, prey are faced with a series of 'if', 'when' and 'how' escape decisions – these critical questions are the foci of this book. Cooper and Blumstein bring together a balance of theory and empirical research to summarise over fifty years of scattered research and benchmark current thinking in the rapidly expanding literature on the behavioural ecology of escaping. The book consolidates current and new behaviour models with taxonomically divided empirical chapters that demonstrate the application of escape theory to different groups. The chapters integrate behaviour with physiology, genetics and evolution to lead the reader through the complex decisions faced by prey during a predator attack, examining how these decisions interact with life history and individual variation. The chapter on best practice field methodology and the ideas for future research presented throughout, ensure this volume is practical as well as informative.

Nervous Systems and Control of Behavior

Nervous Systems and Control of Behavior PDF Author: Charles Derby
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199791732
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 593

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Book Description
Crustacean Nervous Systems and their Control of Behavior is the third volume of the series The Natural History of the Crustacea. This volume is on the functional organization of crustacean nervous systems, and how those nervous systems produce behavior. It complements other volumes on related topics of feeding biology, reproductive biology, endocrine systems, and behavioral ecology. There is a rich history of the study of the neurobiology of crustaceans, going back over 150 years. This has included studies on how their nervous systems allow them to perform behaviors that are adapted to their particular environments, as well as studying them as model organisms to understand basic biomedical principles about neural function, such as sensory transduction and processing, synaptic transmission and integration, neuromodulation, and learning and memory. The volume has three sections that build progressively on each other. The first section is on the basic organizational features of the crustacean nervous system and the principles upon which it is built. The second section is on sensory ecology - the organization of each sensory system and how it is used in intra- and interspecific interactions, within an ecological context. The third section uses case studies of how crustacean nervous systems are organized to perform complex behaviors and interactions, such as walking, escape, social interactions, and memory and learning. Taken together, the 20 chapters synthesize our modern understanding of the neural control of behavior in crustaceans, based on the most recent technologies in physiological recording, molecular biology, and computational science. This volume will be useful to students and researchers as a concise summary of current knowledge of crustacean neuroscience.

Relational Identities and Other-than-Human Agency in Archaeology

Relational Identities and Other-than-Human Agency in Archaeology PDF Author: Eleanor Harrison-Buck
Publisher: University Press of Colorado
ISBN: 1607327473
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 303

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Book Description
Relational Identities and Other-than-Human Agency in Archaeology explores the benefits and consequences of archaeological theorizing on and interpretation of the social agency of nonhumans as relational beings capable of producing change in the world. The volume cross-examines traditional understanding of agency and personhood, presenting a globally diverse set of case studies that cover a range of cultural, geographical, and historical contexts. Agency (the ability to act) and personhood (the reciprocal qualities of relational beings) have traditionally been strictly assigned to humans. In case studies from Ghana to Australia to the British Isles and Mesoamerica, contributors to this volume demonstrate that objects, animals, locations, and other nonhuman actors also potentially share this ontological status and are capable of instigating events and enacting change. This kind of other-than-human agency is not a one-way transaction of cause to effect but requires an appropriate form of reciprocal engagement indicative of relational personhood, which in these cases, left material traces detectable in the archaeological record. Modern dualist ontologies separating objects from subjects and the animate from the inanimate obscure our understanding of the roles that other-than-human agents played in past societies. Relational Identities and Other-than-Human Agency in Archaeology challenges this essentialist binary perspective. Contributors in this volume show that intersubjective (inherently social) ways of being are a fundamental and indispensable condition of all personhood and move the debate in posthumanist scholarship beyond the polarizing dichotomies of relational versus bounded types of persons. In this way, the book makes a significant contribution to theory and interpretation of personhood and other-than-human agency in archaeology. Contributors: Susan M. Alt, Joanna Brück, Kaitlyn Chandler, Erica Hill, Meghan C. L. Howey, Andrew Meirion Jones, Matthew Looper, Ian J. McNiven, Wendi Field Murray, Timothy R. Pauketat, Ann B. Stahl, Maria Nieves Zedeño

Vision in Cephalopods

Vision in Cephalopods PDF Author: Frederike Diana Hanke
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2889454304
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
Cephalopods usually have large and mobile eyes with which they constantly scan their environment. The eyes of cephalopods are single-chamber eyes which show resemblance to vertebrate eyes. However there are marked differences such as the cephalopod eye having an everted retina instead of an inverted retina found in vertebrates. Their visual system allows the cephalopods, depending on species, to discriminate objects on the basis of their shapes or sizes, images from mirror images or to learn from the observation of others. The cephalopod visual system is also polarization sensitive and controls camouflage, an extraordinary ability almost exclusive to all cephalopods; they are capable of rapidly adapting their body coloration as well as altering their body shape to any background, in almost any condition and even during self-motion. Visual scene analysis ultimately leads to motor outputs that cause an appropriate change in skin coloration or texture by acting directly on chromatophores or papillae in the skin. Mirroring these numerous functions of the visual system, large parts of the cephalopod brain are devoted to the processing of visual information. This research topic focuses on current advances in the knowledge of cephalopod vision. It is designed to facilitate merging questions, approaches and data available through the work of different researchers working on different aspects of cephalopod vision. Thus the research topic creates mutual awareness, and facilitates the growth of a field of research with a long tradition - cephalopod vision, visual perception and cognition as well as the mechanisms of camouflage. This research topic emerged from a workshop on “Vision in cephalopods” as part of the COST Action FA1301.

Sensory Processing in Aquatic Environments

Sensory Processing in Aquatic Environments PDF Author: Shaun P. Collin
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387226281
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 471

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Book Description
Research on sensory processing or the way animals see, hear, smell, taste, feel and electrically and magnetically sense their environment has advanced a great deal over the last fifteen years. This book discusses the most important themes that have emerged from recent research and provides a summary of likely future directions. The book starts with two sections on the detection of sensory signals over long and short ranges by aquatic animals, covering the topics of navigation, communication, and finding food and other localized sources. The next section, the co-evolution of signal and sense, deals with how animals decide whether the source is prey, predator or mate by utilizing receptors that have evolved to take full advantage of the acoustical properties of the signal. Organisms living in the deep-sea environment have also received a lot of recent attention, so the next section deals with visual adaptations to limited light environments where sunlight is replaced by bioluminescence and the visual system has undergone changes to optimize light capture and sensitivity. The last section on central co-ordination of sensory systems covers how signals are processed and filtered for use by the animal. This book will be essential reading for all researchers and graduate students interested in sensory systems.