Ask anyone who has owned a pet and they ll assure you that, yes, animals have personalities. And science is beginning to agree. Researchers have demonstrated that both domesticated and nondomesticated animals from invertebrates to monkeys and apes behave in consistently different ways, meeting the criteria for what many define as personality. But why the differences, and how are personalities shaped by genes and environment? How did they evolve? The essays in "Animal Personalities "reveal that there is much to learn from our furred and feathered friends.The study of animal personality is one...

Ask anyone who has owned a pet and they'll assure you that, yes, animals have personalities. And science is beginning to agree. Researchers have demonstrated that both domesticated and nondomesticated animals-from invertebrates to monkeys and apes-behave in consistently different ways, meeting the criteria for what many define as personality. But why the differences, and how are personalities shaped by genes and environment? How did they evolve? The essays in "Animal Personalities" reveal that there is much to learn from our furred and feathered friends. The study of animal personality is one...