Description - Aesop's Animals: The Science Behind the Fables by Jo Wimpenny
Despite being conceived over two and a half thousand years ago, Aesop's Fables are still passed from parent to child today, and are embedded in our collective consciousness. The morals we learnt from these tales still inform our judgements, but have they influenced our views of the animal protagonists as well? And if so, is there any truth behind the stereotypes? Are crows smart enough to reason? Are pigeons so dumb they cannot tell the difference between painting and reality? Are ants truly capable of looking ahead to the future and planning their actions? In Aesop's Animals, zoologist Jo Wimpenny turns a critical eye to the fables and ask whether there is any scientific truth to Aesop's portrayal of his animals. She brings the tales into the twenty-first century, introducing the latest scientific research on some of the most fascinating topics in animal behaviour. Each chapter focuses on a different fable and a different topic in ethology, including future planning, tool use, self-recognition, cooperation and deception. At the end of each chapter, the author pulls together the evidence to assess whether Aesop's portrayal of the animals holds true from a modern, scientific perspective. Through interviews with leading behavioural ecologists, this book brings these famous tales back to life. Aesop's Animals builds on our fascination with animal behaviour, revealing cutting-edge research findings about animal abilities, as well as enabling the reader to explore and challenge their own preconceived notions about the animal kingdom.
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