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9780465028382 English 0465028381 'Animal Architects' masterfully investigates how the structure an animal builds reveals the inner workings of its mind. Beginning with instinct and the simple homes of solitary insects, and progressing to conditioning, the "cognitive map," and the role of planning and insight, James and Carol Gould use the amazing engineering feats throughout the animal world to reach fascinating conclusions about animals' behavioral capabilities.From two of the world's most distinguished experts in animal behavior, 'Animal Architects' is a creative and accessible approach to understanding animal minds through the structures they build., Animal behavior has long been a battleground between the competing claims of nature and nurture, with the possible role of cognition in behavior as a recent addition to this debate. There is an untapped trove of behavioral 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. Animal Architectsexamines 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 bowerbirds' 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 castles in the air., Engrossing... The prospect of using the structures an animal builds to extrapolate its cognitive capability is irresistible. Fortunately for readers, the levelheaded Goulds prove wonderful guides through these shadowy corridors, at once skeptical and reverent.--Boston Globe
9780465028382 English 0465028381 'Animal Architects' masterfully investigates how the structure an animal builds reveals the inner workings of its mind. Beginning with instinct and the simple homes of solitary insects, and progressing to conditioning, the "cognitive map," and the role of planning and insight, James and Carol Gould use the amazing engineering feats throughout the animal world to reach fascinating conclusions about animals' behavioral capabilities.From two of the world's most distinguished experts in animal behavior, 'Animal Architects' is a creative and accessible approach to understanding animal minds through the structures they build., Animal behavior has long been a battleground between the competing claims of nature and nurture, with the possible role of cognition in behavior as a recent addition to this debate. There is an untapped trove of behavioral 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. Animal Architectsexamines 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 bowerbirds' 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 castles in the air., Engrossing... The prospect of using the structures an animal builds to extrapolate its cognitive capability is irresistible. Fortunately for readers, the levelheaded Goulds prove wonderful guides through these shadowy corridors, at once skeptical and reverent.--Boston Globe