1 - Introduction

Summary

The aims and scope of the volume with an overview of the comparative method as applied in studying behavioral ecology and evolution, distinguishing among analogous and homologous features. This chapter briefly orients readers unfamiliar with the discipline of animal behavior to the basic types of causal explanations studied in the field. It then provides an introduction to frameworks for how behavior and conservation might be integrated in principle and in practice, situating subsequent chapters in terms of their biological basis together with applications in wildlife conservation viewed through an evolutionary lens. It outlines how the major domains of behavior concerning foraging, reproduction, and movement raise issues salient to management and policy decisions, foreshadowing challenges with respect to human–wildlife conflicts and global changes in land use and climate.