Animals - Habitats & Behaviors - General & Miscellaneous, Animal Behavior & Psychology

Anuran Communication

Name: Anuran Communication
Author: Michael J. Ryan
ISBN: 9781560989738

by Michael J. Ryan

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Overview

In this book, twenty-five scientists from around the world synthesize what is known about how frogs and toads communicate. The contributors -- experts in disciplines including animal behavior, developmental biology, endocrinology, evolution, ecology, and neurobiology -- examine this amphibian order's vocal, visual, and chemical signals, the physiology and energetics of their production, neural processing, related behaviors, and evolutionary implications. They explain that recent research developments have led to further understanding of how the anuran larynx affects sound production, how the anuran brain recognizes sound, and how both of these processes are influenced by an amphibian's physiological state. The contributors also discuss male-to-male call strategies and female preferences for call variation, which contribute to sexual selection, speciation, and hybridization. The book presents new material about kin recognition abilities and the surprising range of visual displays by tropical anurans, and examines how the inherent structure of the anuran auditory system might generate sensory biases that influence signal evolution.

Uniting two overarching concerns of biologists today -- the interaction of communication with sexual selection and the mechanisms that underlie flexible behavior -- this book shows that the study of anuran communication provides a useful model for other animal behavior research. It contributes to the understanding of general patterns, processes, and mechanisms affecting anuran communication.