Covering the behavior and ecology of the northern fur seal, this book is
a model long-term study of marine mammals, one that tests theory through
both observation of undisturbed behavior and manipulative experiments on
individuals. Here Roger Gentry draws on nearly two decades of research
on three different islands to show how behavior among these seals
changes with population size, sex ratio, and environment, to explain the
behavior of the population beginning with individuals, and to generalize
the results to other members of the eared seal family. In so doing, he
offers one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind on any marine
mammal species to date.
Gentry shows that the species is driven by very different behavioral
traits than have been assumed for it in the past. His book analyzes
behavior on scales of hours to lifetimes, investigates the mating
system, considers processes that underlie the mating system (site
fidelity, behavioral estrus, and the development of territoriality), and
addresses specific aspects of maternal strategy (female attendance
behavior, pup growth, seasonal influences, and the effects of
continental shelf width). Gentry contributes to knowledge about marine
mammals by providing a very specific basis for interspecies comparisons,
and he suggests a link between population trend and environmental regime
shifts. He also guides the debate over seal mating systems from an
interpretive to an empirical or experimental basis.
Originally published in 1997.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand
technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from
the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions
preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting
them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the
Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich
scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by
Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
