Animal Architects
Building and the Evolution of Intelligence
Basic Books (Publisher)
Published on 13. March 2007
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-0-465-02782-8 (ISBN)
Description
From two of the world's most distinguished experts in animal behaviour, this book offers a radical, creative, and accessible new approach to understanding animal minds through the structures they build. Animal behaviour has long been a battleground between the competing claims of nature and nurture, with the possible role of cognition in behaviour as a recent addition to this debate. There is an untapped trove of behavioural data that can tell us a great deal about how the animals draw from these neural strategies: the structures animals build provide a superb window on the workings of the animal mind. "Building Minds" examines animal architecture across a range of species, from those whose blueprints are largely innate (such as spiders and their webs) to those whose challenging structures seem to require intellectual insight, planning, and even aesthetics (such as birds' nests, or beavers' dams). Beginning with instinct and the simple homes of solitary insects, James and Carol Gould move on to conditioning; the "cognitive map" and how it evolved; and the role of planning and insight.
Finally, they reflect on what animal building tells us about the nature of human intelligence - showing why humans, unlike many animals, need to build their castles in the air.
Finally, they reflect on what animal building tells us about the nature of human intelligence - showing why humans, unlike many animals, need to build their castles in the air.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Illustrations
30 b&w illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-465-02782-8 (9780465027828)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
03/2012
Basic Books
€9.99
Available for download
Persons
James L Gould is Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University and one of the world's leading experts in animal behaviour. With science writer Carol Grant Gould he has written The Animal Mind, Sexual Selection, and The Honey Bee, all considered classic books on animal behaviour for lay audiences. They live in Princeton, New Jersey.