Cheats and Deceits: How Animals and Plants Exploit and Mislead - Hardcover

Stevens, Martin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198707894 ISBN 13: 9780198707899

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2016

Synopsis

In nature, trickery and deception are widespread. Animals and plants mimic other objects or species in the environment for protection, trick other species into rearing their young, lure prey to their death, and deceive potential mates for reproduction. Cuckoos lay eggs carefully matched to their host's own clutch. Harmless butterflies mimic the wing patterning of a poisonous butterfly to avoid being eaten. The deep-sea angler fish hangs a glowing, fleshy lure in front of its mouth to draw the attention of potential prey, while some male fish alter their appearance to look like females in order to sneak past rivals in mating. Some orchids develop the smell of female insects in order to attract pollinators, while carnivorous plants lure insects to their death with colourful displays.

In Cheats and Deceits, Martin Stevens describes the remarkable range of such adaptations in nature, and considers how they have evolved and increasingly been perfected as part of an arms race between predator and prey or host and parasite. He explores both classic and recent research of naturalists and biologists, showing how scientists find ways of testing the impact of particular behaviours and colourings on the animals it is meant to fool. Drawing on a wide range of examples, Stevens considers what deception tells us about the process of evolution and adaptation.

About this title

About the Author

Martin Stevens is Associate Professor of Sensory and Evolutionary Ecology based in the Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter. His research focuses on sensory ecology and behaviour, especially animal coloration and vision. He studies a wide range of animals, including fish, reptiles, birds, insects, crabs, and primates. Martin's work has frequently covered topics related to deception, including mimicry by brood parasites and anti-predator coloration, including camouflage, eyespots, and mimicry. He undertook his PhD at the University of Bristol on animal camouflage and bird vision, before spending seven years as a research fellow in the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge. He moved to Exeter University in early 2013. Martin has published over 70 scientific manuscripts, in addition to two textbooks, including a recent one on sensory ecology and behaviour.

Review

"A riveting look at mimicry, camouflage, startle displays, communication signals, and reproductive deceptions and their evolutionary impact. This work will be enjoyed by scientists and laypersons with a strong interest in the topic."--Library Journal

"I found Martin Stevens' Cheat and Deceits to be absolutely fascinating. The subjects he takes up, the remarkable examples he provides, and the clarity of his writing style--intelligent and learned yet at the same time enjoyable and even at times witty... I give Martin Stevens' Cheats and Deceits my most enthusiastic recommendation."-- The Well Read Naturalist

"Mr. Stevens makes for a clear, thoughtful, jargon-free guide... Delicious, duplicitous details make exploring the natural world seem all the more fascinating. If you want to understand just how thoroughly we live in a realm of intrigue and deception, this book is a fine place to begin."--The Wall Street Journal

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0198707894
• ISBN 13: 9780198707899
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320