Marlene Zuk

“This is a truly compelling book, rich with scientific expertise and humor.”—Isabella RosselliniFrom one of our foremost experts on behavioral evolution, an entertaining exploration of what raccoons, rats, and other animal intruders teach us about intelligence, adaptability, and ourselvesWhen we think of animals that provide the greatest insights into animal cognition and behavior, primates and honeybees come to mind, or perhaps whales or octopus. What about the raccoons that plunder our rubbish at night, or the coyotes that threaten pets and livestock, or the gulls that divebomb for snacks at the beach? Outsider Animals challenges everything you thought you knew about the overlooked animals that live in proximity to humans, sharing the stories that each has to tell about adaptation and cohabitation on our increasingly crowded planet. Marlene Zuk gives us a new appreciation for the animals we often shun, explaining why these unpopular creatures have something special to teach us not only about the ways we deal with other species but about our own place in nature and what it means for an animal to belong somewhere. You will discover how coyotes and snakes shed light on our coevolution with predators, what cockroaches tell us about the evolution of pregnancy, how butterflies make us reconsider the effects of roadside pollution, how cowbirds and mynas are forcing ecologists to think differently about invasive species, and much more. Writing with an infectious blend of humor and curiosity, Zuk invites us to reflect on our relationships with these close-to-home creatures and the ways our lives encroach on theirs, and to draw lessons from their behavior in all its fascinating complexity.

It's time to leave behind the tired nature-versus-nurture debate. In Dancing Cockatoos and the Dead Man Test , Marlene Zuk asks a more fascinating question: How does behaviour evolve, and how is that process similar-and different-in people and animals? Drawing from a wealth of research, including her own on insects, she explores how genes and the environment work together to produce cockatoos that dance to rock music and ants that heal their injured companions. She follows the different paths cats and dogs took to living with humans and asks whether bees are domestic animals. In exploring intelligence, mating behaviour and fighting disease, Zuk turns to smart spiders, silent crickets and crafty crows. She shows how neither our behaviour nor that of other animals is dictated solely by genes, and that animal behaviour can be remarkably similar to human behaviour-and wonderfully complicated in its own right.