Primate Social Systems

Kids, Natural World, Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Education & Teaching, Science & Nature, Science
Cover of the book Primate Social Systems by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar, Springer US
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar ISBN: 9781468466942
Publisher: Springer US Publication: March 9, 2013
Imprint: Springer Language: English
Author: Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
ISBN: 9781468466942
Publisher: Springer US
Publication: March 9, 2013
Imprint: Springer
Language: English

This book grew from small beginnings as I began to find unexpected patterns emerging from the data in the literature. The more I thought about the way in which primate social systems worked, the more interesting things turned out to be. I am conscious that, at times, this has introduced a certain amount of complexity into the text. I make no apologies for that: what we are dealing with is a complex subject, the product of evolutionary forces interacting with very sophisticated minds. None the less, I have done my best to explain every­ thing as clearly as I can in order to make the book accessible to as wide an audience as possible. I have laid a heavy emphasis in this book on the use of simple graphical and mathematical models. Their sophistication, however, is not great and does not assume more than a knowledge of elementary probability theory. Since their role will inevitably be misunderstood, I take this opportunity to stress that their function is essentially heuristic rather than explanatory: they are designed to focus our attention on the key issues so as to point out the directions for further research. A model is only as good as the questions it prompts us to ask. For those whose natural inclination is to dismiss modelling out of hand, I can only point to the precision that their use can offer us in terms of hypothesis-testing.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book grew from small beginnings as I began to find unexpected patterns emerging from the data in the literature. The more I thought about the way in which primate social systems worked, the more interesting things turned out to be. I am conscious that, at times, this has introduced a certain amount of complexity into the text. I make no apologies for that: what we are dealing with is a complex subject, the product of evolutionary forces interacting with very sophisticated minds. None the less, I have done my best to explain every­ thing as clearly as I can in order to make the book accessible to as wide an audience as possible. I have laid a heavy emphasis in this book on the use of simple graphical and mathematical models. Their sophistication, however, is not great and does not assume more than a knowledge of elementary probability theory. Since their role will inevitably be misunderstood, I take this opportunity to stress that their function is essentially heuristic rather than explanatory: they are designed to focus our attention on the key issues so as to point out the directions for further research. A model is only as good as the questions it prompts us to ask. For those whose natural inclination is to dismiss modelling out of hand, I can only point to the precision that their use can offer us in terms of hypothesis-testing.

More books from Springer US

Cover of the book Aggression by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
Cover of the book Sapphire by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
Cover of the book Nocturnal Non-Invasive Ventilation by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
Cover of the book Kidney Transplantation: A Guide to the Care of Kidney Transplant Recipients by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
Cover of the book Language, Thought, and the Brain by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
Cover of the book Optical Character Recognition by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
Cover of the book Basophil and Mast Cell Degranulation and Recovery by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
Cover of the book Readings in Pediatric Psychology by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
Cover of the book Bilingual Selection of Syntactic Knowledge by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
Cover of the book Computational and Evolutionary Analysis of HIV Molecular Sequences by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
Cover of the book Modern Trends in Hypnosis by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
Cover of the book Hepatology and Transplant Hepatology by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
Cover of the book Infections and the Cardiovascular System by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
Cover of the book Data Engineering by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
Cover of the book The Social Psychology of Politics by Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy