Publishers Weekly
07/04/2022
Evolutionary biologist Zuk (Paleofantasy) explores the complex basis of animal activity in this entertaining road show covering the sex lives of fruit flies, mental health disorders in dogs, and the intelligence of ravens, among other traits and behaviors. Zuk writes that the “question of whether nature or nurture is more important” to animal behavior “is impossible to answer,” and that “genes don’t single-handedly determine anything”—a creature’s environment is crucial to how they act, too. This thesis, though somewhat unsurprising, provides a nice basis for a wide range of examples: there’s the eccentric spider-tailed viper, a snake that attracts its prey with a tail that functions as a lure, and slime molds, which “can solve problems and predict the future even though they look like blobs of gulp.” Flying squirrels and sugar gliders, meanwhile, both look similarly “adorable” “not because of a mutual gliding ancestor, but because of convergent evolution,” and octopuses “illustrate the perils of reverse-engineering an explanation in evolution” when people measure their intelligence against humans’. Zuk has a knack for weaving in complex scientific theories without ever slowing down the pace, and her vivid descriptions render her wonder contagious: “Even a humble slug,” she writes, “is capable of feats that humans cannot achieve.” This one’s full of fun. (Aug.)
Barbara Natterson-Horowitz
"With Dancing Cockatoos and the Dead Man Test, Marlene Zuk, a master of scientific storytelling, presents the natural world as a source of powerful insights for understanding behavior across animal species, including our own. With authority, clarity, and wit, the author guides readers on a revelatory journey into the connected nature of behavior across the tree of life."
Jennifer Ackerman
"This book is a joy—a provocative, highly entertaining exploration of the roots of our behavior. Marlene Zuk dispels the murk and misconceptions about how our sex roles, language, intelligence, even our mental illness came to be, offering a fresh and invigorating view of animal behavior illuminated by her deep knowledge and warm humor."
Science - Rob Dunn
"[Zuk] watches and writes with a sense of wonder, curiosity, and the abiding recognition that our own human lives only make sense in light of the behavior of other species…Zuk’s lovely book feels like a cabinet of curiosities whose details remind us to pay attention to the behaviors around us every day."
Kim Todd
"In Dancing Cockatoos and the Dead Man Test, Marlene Zuk uses a light touch to probe heavy questions: What is behavior? How is it related to intelligence? Does domestication make one dumb? Over the course of her investigation, she introduces readers to Lesser Black-backed Gulls that lie in wait to steal student sandwiches, crayfish that experience anxiety, and sea slugs that decapitate themselves (all the better to grow a new parasite-free body). The book, sparkling with humor and curiosity, is a pleasure from start to finish."
Library Journal
06/01/2022
Zuk (ecology, evolution, and behavior, Univ. of Minnesota; Sex on Six Legs; Paleofantasy) explores the nature vs. nurture debate. After establishing the definitions and scope of this conversation, and invoking the philosophies surrounding both points of view, Zuk uses examples from her field to elaborate on genes and their influence on behavior. She defines the differences between dogs and wolves, the ability of animals to solve problems, and the use of language in animals, specifically primates. The chapters are well constructed but dense. The science is populated with entertaining stories, such as birds that use cigarette butts to fumigate their nests, and an octopus that punches fish, which help clarify the text when the thesis about the evolution of behavior gets a little muddled. Insects receive an examination, as does the mental health of animals. It's evident that Zuk's passion lies with the debate on sex and gender, making those the strongest sections and the easiest to understand. VERDICT Treat this like a tasting menu: explore sections and then pursue further study.—Tina Panik
Kirkus Reviews
2022-05-19
Why do animals, including people, behave in certain ways? It’s complicated.
Zuk, a professor of ecology, evolution, and behavior at the University of Minnesota, clearly loves her work. She has written several interesting books in her field, including Sex on Six Legs. As in previous works, she casts a wide net, examining recent research to reexamine the long-running nature-vs.-nurture debate. In fact, writes the author, the argument has become rather meaningless, with the evidence now suggesting that it is the interaction of genes and environment that determines an animal’s behavior. Zuk shows how genetic structures are not as immutable as once thought—there are cases where they have been changed by environmental factors or repeated actions—and evolution is a far more complex process that its early adherents understood, with paths leading to odd places. Why does a cockatoo called Snowball dance so well to the Backstreet Boys? Is there an evolutionary advantage in collecting YouTube likes? Academic researchers argue vociferously about such issues, with protracted fights over definitions and data interpretations. Many of the problems, writes the author, stem from the tendency to assess behavior against standards based on a hierarchy of sophistication. But does it make sense to measure an animal’s intelligence according to its likeness to humans when that might be of little importance to the animal? Zuk devotes a chapter to the social evolution of dogs, but she also has interesting things to say about tool-using crows, innovative bees, and clever sea slugs. Particularly intriguing is the chapter on how parasites change the behavior of their hosts (such as making mice unafraid of cats) to work their way up the food chain—although many animals have developed effective anti-parasite techniques as well. Consistently entertaining, the book is also packed with provocative questions and useful insights.
Fascinating stories from a knowledgeable, humorous guide. Another winner from Zuk.
