- Email: [email protected]
A poor-will in your living room
BOOK REVIEWS higher social class, where they would reproduce less, supplied the cause. He advocated incentive payments for child support in proportion to income, certainly not politically correct now (or then). I don’t think Fisher’s views have had any lasting impact on either biologists or historians, but what other biologist has given thoughtful attention to the fall of civilizations? In his later years, Fisher no longer discussed these ideas, at least not with me. I don’t think that he had changed his mind, he simply found people unwilling to take the subject seriously. I have only one criticism. The beautiful colored pictures of mimetic butterflies in the 1930 edition are printed in black and white in this edition, alas losing much of their impact.
James F. Crow Genetics Dept, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA ([email protected])
References 1 Kimura, M. (1983) The Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution, Cambridge University Press 2 Crow, J.F. (1990) Fisher’s contributions to genetics and evolution. Theor. Popul. Biol. 38, 263–275 3 Leigh, E.G. (1986) Ronald Fisher and the development of evolutionary theory. I. The role of selection. Oxford Surveys Evol. Biol. 3, 187–223 4 Leigh, E.G. (1987) Ronald Fisher and the development of evolutionary theory. II. Influences of new variation on evolutionary process. Oxford Surveys Evol. Biol. 4, 212–263 5 Box, J.F. (1978) R.A. Fisher. The Life of a Scientist, Wiley 6 Bennett, J.H. (1971–1974) Collected Papers of R.A. Fisher. Vols I–V, University of Adelaide Press
A poor-will in your living room The Evolution of Avian Breeding Systems by J. David Ligon Oxford University Press, 1999. £65.00 hbk (xviii 1 504 pages) ISBN 0 19 854913 X
T
he first question about a book with the word ‘avian’ in the title is: how ‘birdy’ is it? Ornithologists can be intimidatingly clannish, and in this era of biological integration and principles that transcend particular taxa, it is worth knowing whether such transcendence has made it into a current volume. Can people studying clams or carnations gain anything from reading it? Happily for most, the answer is that Ligon’s book on the breeding systems of birds is not too birdy at all. Birds have been the subject of so many studies in behavioral ecology for good reason; they are conspicuous, visually oriented and diurnal, and they have been the
214
proving ground for many hypotheses about the evolution of reproductive behavior. The book takes advantage of this, using the diversity of avian behavior to explore all of the classic problems in sexual selection: mate choice, mate competition, the potential for speciation based on sexually selected traits, the evolution of parental care patterns, and more. Much of this is fine reading, even for novices to the field, although in a few places terms or taxonomic designations are used long before they are defined in the text. Since the seminal publications of Orians1, and Emlen and Oring2, it has become commonplace and, indeed, the standard, to consider ecology the foundation on which breeding systems are built. Therefore, it would have been easy to succumb to the desire to pattern a book on avian breeding systems after the established, albeit somewhat dated, framework of Emlen and Oring merely by adding more modern references. Much to Ligon’s credit, he resisted that temptation, instead producing a lucid, thorough account of the field patterned after his own vision. We are still treated to a discourse on the pervasive influence of ecology (e.g. resource defense and territoriality) on monogamy and classic polyandry, for example, but the connection does not stop there. Ligon makes a compelling argument for incorporating historical information into models of sexual selection, as well as suggesting that the old ethological concepts have much to contribute to our understanding of mating systems. Some of the best chapters were unexpectedly so, with those on ethology and phylogenetic perspectives especially stimulating. The organization of the book is somewhat idiosyncratic. The chapters on the various categories of mating systems do not appear until the last section; this could, for example, make it difficult to read about ornamentation in lekking birds in Chapter 4 when leks are not described or discussed until Chapter 15. In addition, a few important topics are omitted, most notably sperm competition and its now recognized crucial impact on parentage. The book is rich with examples; nary a statement passes that is not tied to empirical evidence or is not adequately referenced. Some of the examples are amusing personal anecdotes; nightjars have extraordinarily cryptic plumage and Ligon notes, ‘Anyone who has ever kept a poor-will in their living room, as I have, knows this.’ If anything, references are used too liberally, to the point of redundancy; tighter editing could have solved this minor problem. In a similar vein, figures and tables are sprinkled throughout the text, often reproduced directly from important publications, but they are too few and far between. Incorporation of additional data in figures and tables could have enhanced the message and interpretability of many of the issues raised. Even so, the sheer volume of citations
0169-5347/00/$ – see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
lends confidence to the scholarly nature of this work, as does presentation of a myriad of conflicting ideas. Admirably, opposing views are generally afforded equal ink, with data in support of either distilled in a dispassionate manner. Still, in several cases we would have preferred that Ligon took a stand and concluded that a particular idea deserves the nod, is flawed or if the jury truly is out. Despite these quibbles, the overall presentation within each chapter is effective. Who could use this book? As stated above, it is not only suitable for ornithologists but also for scientists interested in breeding systems in general, and is written in an accessible style that should also appeal to graduate students. It is a bit specialized for an undergraduate text and a bit too general an overview to provide much fodder for a graduate seminar, but it would be an admirable source for students seeking a research project. For those wanting a more specialized treatment of sexual selection than Andersson’s book3, this is an excellent resource.
Marlene Zuk Michael A. Patten Dept of Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA ([email protected]; [email protected])
References 1 Orians, G.H. (1969) On the evolution of mating systems in birds and mammals. Am. Nat. 103, 589–603 2 Emlen, S.T. and Oring, L.W. (1977) Ecology, sexual selection, and the evolution of mating systems. Science 187, 215–223 3 Andersson, M. (1994) Sexual Selection, Princeton University Press
Fragile erections Ecology of Insects: Concepts and Applications by M.R. Speight, M.D. Hunter and A.D. Watt Blackwell Science, 1999. £26.50 pbk (ix 1 350 pages) ISBN 0 86542 745 3
I
nsect ecology is important. As proof of this, the authors claim that there would now be 9.8, rather than a mere 5.8, billion people in the world if the bubonic plague, initially vectored by fleas, had not wiped out some 40% of the population of Europe in the Middle Ages. But because insects are a vital part of the fabric of virtually all terrestrial ecosystems, the study of their ecology remains a messy, intricate and often intractable enterprise. The chief difficulty is the lack of a generally accepted deep theory of ecology: instead what we have is a set of complex, often sophisticated, descriptions of a huge TREE vol. 15, no. 5 May 2000
James F. Crow Genetics Dept, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA ([email protected])
References 1 Kimura, M. (1983) The Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution, Cambridge University Press 2 Crow, J.F. (1990) Fisher’s contributions to genetics and evolution. Theor. Popul. Biol. 38, 263–275 3 Leigh, E.G. (1986) Ronald Fisher and the development of evolutionary theory. I. The role of selection. Oxford Surveys Evol. Biol. 3, 187–223 4 Leigh, E.G. (1987) Ronald Fisher and the development of evolutionary theory. II. Influences of new variation on evolutionary process. Oxford Surveys Evol. Biol. 4, 212–263 5 Box, J.F. (1978) R.A. Fisher. The Life of a Scientist, Wiley 6 Bennett, J.H. (1971–1974) Collected Papers of R.A. Fisher. Vols I–V, University of Adelaide Press
A poor-will in your living room The Evolution of Avian Breeding Systems by J. David Ligon Oxford University Press, 1999. £65.00 hbk (xviii 1 504 pages) ISBN 0 19 854913 X
T
he first question about a book with the word ‘avian’ in the title is: how ‘birdy’ is it? Ornithologists can be intimidatingly clannish, and in this era of biological integration and principles that transcend particular taxa, it is worth knowing whether such transcendence has made it into a current volume. Can people studying clams or carnations gain anything from reading it? Happily for most, the answer is that Ligon’s book on the breeding systems of birds is not too birdy at all. Birds have been the subject of so many studies in behavioral ecology for good reason; they are conspicuous, visually oriented and diurnal, and they have been the
214
proving ground for many hypotheses about the evolution of reproductive behavior. The book takes advantage of this, using the diversity of avian behavior to explore all of the classic problems in sexual selection: mate choice, mate competition, the potential for speciation based on sexually selected traits, the evolution of parental care patterns, and more. Much of this is fine reading, even for novices to the field, although in a few places terms or taxonomic designations are used long before they are defined in the text. Since the seminal publications of Orians1, and Emlen and Oring2, it has become commonplace and, indeed, the standard, to consider ecology the foundation on which breeding systems are built. Therefore, it would have been easy to succumb to the desire to pattern a book on avian breeding systems after the established, albeit somewhat dated, framework of Emlen and Oring merely by adding more modern references. Much to Ligon’s credit, he resisted that temptation, instead producing a lucid, thorough account of the field patterned after his own vision. We are still treated to a discourse on the pervasive influence of ecology (e.g. resource defense and territoriality) on monogamy and classic polyandry, for example, but the connection does not stop there. Ligon makes a compelling argument for incorporating historical information into models of sexual selection, as well as suggesting that the old ethological concepts have much to contribute to our understanding of mating systems. Some of the best chapters were unexpectedly so, with those on ethology and phylogenetic perspectives especially stimulating. The organization of the book is somewhat idiosyncratic. The chapters on the various categories of mating systems do not appear until the last section; this could, for example, make it difficult to read about ornamentation in lekking birds in Chapter 4 when leks are not described or discussed until Chapter 15. In addition, a few important topics are omitted, most notably sperm competition and its now recognized crucial impact on parentage. The book is rich with examples; nary a statement passes that is not tied to empirical evidence or is not adequately referenced. Some of the examples are amusing personal anecdotes; nightjars have extraordinarily cryptic plumage and Ligon notes, ‘Anyone who has ever kept a poor-will in their living room, as I have, knows this.’ If anything, references are used too liberally, to the point of redundancy; tighter editing could have solved this minor problem. In a similar vein, figures and tables are sprinkled throughout the text, often reproduced directly from important publications, but they are too few and far between. Incorporation of additional data in figures and tables could have enhanced the message and interpretability of many of the issues raised. Even so, the sheer volume of citations
0169-5347/00/$ – see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
lends confidence to the scholarly nature of this work, as does presentation of a myriad of conflicting ideas. Admirably, opposing views are generally afforded equal ink, with data in support of either distilled in a dispassionate manner. Still, in several cases we would have preferred that Ligon took a stand and concluded that a particular idea deserves the nod, is flawed or if the jury truly is out. Despite these quibbles, the overall presentation within each chapter is effective. Who could use this book? As stated above, it is not only suitable for ornithologists but also for scientists interested in breeding systems in general, and is written in an accessible style that should also appeal to graduate students. It is a bit specialized for an undergraduate text and a bit too general an overview to provide much fodder for a graduate seminar, but it would be an admirable source for students seeking a research project. For those wanting a more specialized treatment of sexual selection than Andersson’s book3, this is an excellent resource.
Marlene Zuk Michael A. Patten Dept of Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA ([email protected]; [email protected])
References 1 Orians, G.H. (1969) On the evolution of mating systems in birds and mammals. Am. Nat. 103, 589–603 2 Emlen, S.T. and Oring, L.W. (1977) Ecology, sexual selection, and the evolution of mating systems. Science 187, 215–223 3 Andersson, M. (1994) Sexual Selection, Princeton University Press
Fragile erections Ecology of Insects: Concepts and Applications by M.R. Speight, M.D. Hunter and A.D. Watt Blackwell Science, 1999. £26.50 pbk (ix 1 350 pages) ISBN 0 86542 745 3
I
nsect ecology is important. As proof of this, the authors claim that there would now be 9.8, rather than a mere 5.8, billion people in the world if the bubonic plague, initially vectored by fleas, had not wiped out some 40% of the population of Europe in the Middle Ages. But because insects are a vital part of the fabric of virtually all terrestrial ecosystems, the study of their ecology remains a messy, intricate and often intractable enterprise. The chief difficulty is the lack of a generally accepted deep theory of ecology: instead what we have is a set of complex, often sophisticated, descriptions of a huge TREE vol. 15, no. 5 May 2000