Author Description
Pp. xi, 653, 11 full page black-and-white plates, 47 text-figures. Publisher's original gray cloth, spine with dark blue title panel lettered in gilt, yellow and gray printed dust jacket, lg 8vo (255 x 178 mm). This massive volume presents a new theory of population density of animals by laying out the methods by which the numbers and population-densities of animals are controlled. The volume draws on factual material from the entire animal kingdom. An obituary of the author is laid in at the rear. No ownership marks and few signs of use.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This volume investigates the mechanisms by which animal populations regulate their density and distribution through social behavior. V. Wynne-Edwards, a distinguished zoologist, presents a comprehensive theoretical framework arguing that social structures function as homeostatic mechanisms to prevent overpopulation and resource depletion. The work synthesizes extensive biological observations across the animal kingdom to support the hypothesis of group selection in population control.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Theoretical models of population density control
- Analysis of social hierarchies and territoriality
- Comparative studies across vertebrate and invertebrate species
- Discussion of reproductive suppression and dispersal
Scope Limits
- Does not address modern molecular genetic advancements post-1960s
- Focuses primarily on group-level selection rather than individual-level kin selection
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts recognize this work as a foundational, albeit controversial, text in the history of behavioral ecology. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the sheer breadth of the empirical data presented by the author.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
1962-01-01
Publisher:
Hafner Publishing Company
ISBN-10:
005001482X
ISBN-13:
9780050014820
Science
Biology
Ecology
Zoology
Population Dynamics