The abundance of agricultural production enjoyed in the United States is the result of a federal-state partnership that relies on land grant universities to respond to the needs of society through research, invention, problem-solving, outreach, and applied science and engineering.The Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at Texas A&M University, established in 1915, has been an important part of that effort. Over the hundred years of its existence, it has successfully ...

Gull chicks beg for food from their parents. Peacocks spread their tails to attract potential mates. Meerkats alert family members of the approach of predators. But are these--and other animals--sometimes dishonest? That's what William Searcy and Stephen Nowicki ask in The Evolution of Animal Communication. They take on the fascinating yet perplexing question of the dependability of animal signaling systems.The book probes such phenomena as the begging of nesting birds, al...