DANCING COCKATOOS AND THE DEAD MAN TEST

Why do animals, including people, behave in certain ways? It’s complicated.

Zuk, a professor of ecology, evolution, and behavior at the University of Minnesota, clearly loves her work. She has written several interesting books in her field, including Sex on Six Legs. As in previous works, she casts a wide net, examining recent research to reexamine the long-running nature-vs.-nurture debate. In fact, writes the author, the argument has become rather meaningless, with the evidence now suggesting that it is the interaction of genes and environment that determines an animal’s behavior. Zuk shows how genetic structures are not as immutable as once thought—there are cases where they have been changed by environmental factors or repeated actions—and evolution is a far more complex process that its early adherents understood, with paths leading to odd places. Why does a cockatoo called Snowball dance so well to the Backstreet Boys? Is there an evolutionary advantage in collecting YouTube likes? Academic researchers argue vociferously about such issues, with protracted fights over definitions and data interpretations. Many of the problems, writes the author, stem from the tendency to assess behavior against standards based on a hierarchy of sophistication. But does it make sense to measure an animal’s intelligence according to its likeness to humans when that might be of little importance to the animal? Zuk devotes a chapter to the social evolution of dogs, but she also has interesting things to say about tool-using crows, innovative bees, and clever sea slugs. Particularly intriguing is the chapter on how parasites change the behavior of their hosts (such as making mice unafraid of cats) to work their way up the food chain—although many animals have developed effective anti-parasite techniques as well. Consistently entertaining, the book is also packed with provocative questions and useful insights.

Fascinating stories from a knowledgeable, humorous guide. Another winner from Zuk.