First published in 1981, this book is about how the brain controls the behaviour of lower vertebrates. It concentrates on teleosts and amphibians as these are the classes about which most is known. The literature dealing with mammalian brain mechanisms of behaviour is extensive and this book starts to fill the gaps in our knowledge of vertebrate brain behaviour so that the multidisciplinary, comparative approach will be better understood. The text deals with selected topics from five major areas of interest, commencing with the evolution of lower vertebrate brain structure in relation to function. Subsequent sections look at the way sensory information is processed, how sleep, arousal and wakefulness and the level of attention and appetite in lower vertebrates are studies and, finally, how experience may modify the behaviour of these animals. The book combines an introduction to comparative neurothology with specialised topics in which advances have been made. The book will interest students and research workers in neurobiology and animal behaviour.
