The study of alternative reproductive tactics (the behavioural strategies used by individuals to increase their reproductive success) is an evolutionary puzzle, and one of great interest to researchers. For instance, why do some males guard both nest and eggs, while others sneak into nests while pairs are spawning and fertilise those eggs? The field offers a special opportunity to study the evolution and functional causes of phenotypic variation, which is a general problem in the field of evolutionary biology. By integrating both mechanistic (psychological) and evolutionary (behavioural ecology) perspectives and by covering a great diversity of species, Alternative Reproductive Tactics addresses this integrated topic of longstanding interest, bringing together a multitude of otherwise scattered information in an accessible form that is ideal for graduate students and researchers.
Preface Rui F. Oliveira, Michael Taborsky and H. Jane Brockmann; 1. The evolution of alternative mating tactics: concepts and questions Michael Taborsky, Rui F. Oliveira and H. Jane Brockmann; Part I. Ultimate Causes and Origins of ARTs: 2. Alternative reproductive tactics and the evolution of alternative allocation phenotypes H. Jane Brockmann and Michael Taborsky; 3. Phylogenetic analysis of alternative reproductive tactics - Problems and possibilities Vítor C. Almada and Joana I. Robalo; 4. Modeling alternative mating tactics as dynamic games Jeffrey R. Lucas and Richard D. Howard; Part II. Proximate Mechanisms of ARTs: 5. The roles of genes and the environment in the expression and evolution of alternative tactics Douglas J. Emlen; 6. Neuroendocrine mechanisms of alternative reproductive tactics: the chemical language of reproductive and social plasticity Andrew H. Bass and Paul M. Forlano; 7. Hormones and alternative reproductive tactics in vertebrates Rui F. Oliveira, Adelino V. M. Canario and Albert F. H. Ros; Part III. Taxonomic Reviews of ARTs: 8. Alternative reproductive tactics in insects H. Jane Brockmann; 9. The expression of crustacean mating strategies Stephen M. Shuster; 10. Alternative reproductive tactics in fish Michael Taborsky; 11. Alternative reproductive tactics in amphibians Kelly R. Zamudio and Lauren M. Chan; 12. Alternative reproductive tactics in reptiles Ryan Calsbeek and Barry Sinervo; 13. Alternative reproductive tactics in birds Oliver Krüger; 14. Alternative reproductive tactics in nonprimate male mammals Jerry O. Wolff; 15. Alternative reproductive tactics in primates Joanna M. Setchell; Part IV. Emerging Perspectives on ARTs: 16. Communication and the evolution of alternative reproductive tactics David Gonçalves, Rui F. Oliveira and Peter K. McGregor; 17. Alternative mating tactics and mate choice for good genes or good care Brian Neff; 18. Conflict between the sexes and alternative reproductive tactics within a sex Suzanne H. Alonzo; 19. Cooperative breeding as an alternative reproductive tactic Walter D. Koenig and Janis L. Dickinson; 20. Integrating mechanisms and function: prospects for future research H. Jane Brockmann, Rui Oliveira and Michael Taborsky.
Rui F. Oliveira is Associate Professor in Behavioural Biology at the Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Portugal. He is a consulting Editor of the Hormones and Behaviour journal and Chief-Editor of the Acta Ethologica journal. He also served on the council of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour between 1999 and 2004. H. Jane Brockmann is currently a Professor of Zoology at the University of Florida. She has extensive teaching experience in Animal Behavior, Ethology, Behavioral Ecology and Evolution and has been awarded many honors, including the Animal Behavior Society's Distinguished Service Award in 2000.
Reviews for Alternative Reproductive Tactics: An Integrative Approach
'... even to the novice, the subject material of this book is fascinating. ... well structured and clearly written with illustrative diagrams and excellent examples ...' Biologist
