Self-regulating systems in populations of animals
Wynne-Edward VC. 1965. Self-regulating systems in populations of animals. Science. 147(3665):1543-1548
I am going to try to explain a hypothesis which could provide a bridge between two biological realms . On one side is that part of the 'Balance of Nature' concerned with regulating the numbers of animals, and on the other is the broad field of social behavior. The hypothesis may, I believe, throw a bright and perhaps important sidelight on human behavior and population problems. I must emphasize, however, that it is still a hypothesis. It appears to be generally consistent with the facts, and it provides entirely new insight into many aspects of animal behavior that have hitherto been unexplainable; but because it involves long-term evolutionary processes it cannot be put to an immediate and comprehensive test by short-term experiments.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Wynne-Edward, V.
- Units
- SODN
- Keywords
- Animal Behavior, Balance of Nature, Chordata (morphology physiology pathology), Human behavior, Population, Self-regulating populations, Zoology