Animal Play: Evolutionary, Comparative and Ecological Perspectives - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521586569 ISBN 13: 9780521586566

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1998

Synopsis

Why do animals play? Play has been described in animals as diverse as reptiles, birds and mammals, so what benefits does it provide and how did it evolve? Careful, quantitative studies of social, locomotor and object play behavior are now beginning to answer these questions and shed light on many other aspects of both animal and human behavior. This unique interdisciplinary volume brings together the major findings about play in a wide range of species including humans. Topics about play include the evolutionary history of play, play structure, function and development, and sex and individual differences. Animal Play is destined to become the benchmark volume in this subject for many years to come, and will provide a source of inspiration and understanding for students and researchers in behavioral biology, neurobiology, psychology and anthropology.

About this title

Book Description:

Why do animals play? Play has been described in many different species from reptiles to humans and can give insights into the development and evolution of other behaviours. This unique interdisciplinary volume examines human and animal play in a broad range of contexts. Animal Play is destined to become the benchmark volume in this subject for many years to come, and will provide a source of inspiration and understanding for students and researchers in behavioural biology, neurobiology, psychology and anthropology.

Review:

"This volume is not only interdisciplinary but also manages to be instructively comparative in a broad sense....This breadth and the accompanying list of references assure great usefulness for this volume. An enjoyable and affordable compendium." Choice

"Readers interested in play behavior (and behavior in general) will find this book a worthwhile read." American Scientist

This interdisciplinary volume brings together the major findings about play in a wide range of species including humans." Animal Cognition

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0521586569
• ISBN 13: 9780521586566
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 292
• Editor: Bekoff Marc, Byers John A.