Best zoology books according to redditors
We found 290 Reddit comments discussing the best zoology books. We ranked the 102 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
14. The Smartypants' Guide to the AP Environmental Science Exam
3 mentions
Used Book in Good Condition
Pre-order your copy of The Curious Life of Krill today!
THe book "Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity" is what you need.
https://www.amazon.com/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Diversity-Stonewall/dp/031225377X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536733270&sr=8-1&keywords=Biological+Exuberance%3A+Animal+Homosexuality+and+Natural+Diversity.
It lists over 190 in chapter 2 alone and states that Bagemihl's research shows that homosexual behavior, not necessarily sex, has been documented in about 500 species as of 1999, ranging from primates to gut worms. Across all the chapters, it compiles
more than two centuries of observations of homosexual behavior, pair bonding, and coparenting in more than 400 species.
All the peer reviewed statistics and data sources are included in the book for those skeptics.
(Though let's face it, if Anti-vaxxers can ignore hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific documents and focus on the one discredited idiot who stated that vaccines cause autism, then people will cherry pick from this too).
>Metropolitan Anthimos of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city used his pulpit just days before the vote in Greek parliament to suggest that “not even animals” have these tendencies.
Too bad "Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity" hasn't been translated into Greek. Because this person needs to read it...
https://www.amazon.com/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Diversity-Stonewall/dp/031225377X
> Make no mistake, the gay community needs to file for divorce with the trans community. They are no longer working toward the same goals ... Unlike members of the trans community, who are working against their biology and trying to change who they are physically, gay or lesbian people are trying to be nobody but themselves. They are not seeking surgery or hormone treatments. They love the same gender; they don’t want to be a different gender.
This. This so much.
We have biological evidence that throughout the animal kingdom homosexuality and bisexuality are totally normal and seen in a variety of species. https://www.amazon.ca/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Natural-Diversity/dp/031225377X
While Bruce Bagemihl also writes about and catalogues evidence of transgenderism in the animal kingdom in the sense of gender-non-confirming behaviour in animals as well as evidence of intersexuality/hermaphrodism. Exact gender roles and expression of those roles vary in species as well as in individuals, but all animals have to accept that biology is immutable. Sexual reassignment surgery is cosmetic and doesn't change one's gender. By being in denial about biology, this current wave of trans identity politics is essentially butting heads with reality. It won't end well.
If you haven’t already bought the bird book I would suggest another. The Audubon ones aren’t well laid out for beginners. I would suggest Sibley or Stokes instead. I’m a bird biologist and I love teaching beginning birders, and these two guides are the easiest.
A) homosexuality has been common in our species long before overpopulation was an issue
B) same sex sexual activity is common among mammals, reptiles and birds as well as many arthropods. Source Its prevalence seems to be uncorrelated with population density of any species.
There's a long and ugly story behind that. In the 1800s there was some nasty competition between American paleontologists Charles Marsh and Edward Cope. These 2 men were driven by vanity more than science, and each despised each other. This was called the "Bone Wars". Did I mention it got ugly? Deliberately taking dynamite to the other's dig site to destroy fossil specimens ugly. Each was trying to make a name for themselves while ruining the other's.
Anyhow, Marsh was known for sacrificing quality for quantity in his research. He found a partial sauropod fossil and dubbed it Apatosaurus. It was an incomplete specimen and poorly described, more because he couldn't be bothered to finish the excavation because he needed to keep moving find new specimens. Even the name doesn't fit ~ Apatosaurus means "Deceptive Lizard".
Meanwhile Cope was taking his time at a particular excavation (for a change, at least) and meticulously unearthed a sauropod specimen. He named it Brontosaurus meaning "Thunder Lizard". Much more apt for a giant dinosaur.
Unfortunately, nomenclature always defers to the specimen named first. Apatosaurus, half-assed and poorly named, was recognized before Brontosaurus was. Once the 2 specimens were determined to be the same species, Brontosaurus was dropped. By this time it was in the early 1900s, and would take decades yet to take effect.
There are paleontologists to this day that still call it Brontosaurus and refuse the name change. More on principle than anything, Marsh should not be rewarded with a legacy for cutting corners and having no work-ethic.
Steven J. Gould was a very respected paleontologist, and biologist in general that wrote a book that touches on the matter called Bully for Brontosaurus
Absolutely. And furthermore, let me say this: if they push me to the point where I feel the need to filibuster, I will take the opportunity to educate them. How? By reading books on the floor of the House like Guns, Germs, and Steel (so they understand better where we came from), The Black Hole War, Bully for Brontosaurus (so they understand a little bit about science), and Subliminal, so they know how the NRA and Fox News is killing their minds.
Asking about ID guides on an ID subreddit seems valid to me!
I'm personally a big fan of the Sibley guides. I think the illustrations provide a lot of detail and clarity and really highlight field marks well. For your area, the Eastern guide is probably what you want, though if you travel frequently or just want a more complete book, there's also a version that covers all of North America.
I also want to mention Merlin, which is a free app from Cornell. It's comprehensive, really good at helping ID unknown birds, provides lists of birds most likely for your location and the time of year, and includes songs as well. It's fantastic and the sort of thing you'd normally expect to pay a good bit of money for.
> Tuntuu kuitenkin, jopa tästä kirjoituksesta, että on painetta painottaa esimerkiksi sellaisia väitteitä, joissa homoseksuaalisuus olisi adaptaatio, eikä esimerkiksi patogeenin aiheuttama.
Todennäköisemmin syy etsiä adaptaavista selitystä homoseksuaalisuuteen tulee siitä, että homoseksuaalisuutta on havaittu käytännössä kaikilla tutkituolla selkärankaisilla.
Lisäksi, jos havaitaan että homoseksuaallisuus on perinnöllistä tietyissä suvuissa, ja tämä on havaittavissa niin eläimissä kuin ihmisissä, niin evoluution teorian perusteella voidaan tehdä hypoteesi, että tällä ilmiöllä olisi jokin suvunjatkamista edistävä ominaisuus, vaikka se silloin tällöin johtaisi geneettiseen umpikujaan yksilöiden tasolla. Samalla tavalla kuin sirppisoluanemien kohdalla. Sirppisoluanemie johtuu yhdestä pistemutaatiosta, ja jos henkilöllä on kaksi kappaletta näitä geenejä, hän todennäköisesti kuolee jo lapsena (kyseessä on resessiivinen geeni). Jos yksilöllä on vain yksi vioittunut geeni, hänellä on tavallista parempi vastustuskyky malariaa vastaan. Tästä johtuen tämä sirppisolianemiaa aiheuttava geeni on päässyt yleistymään etenkin Afrikassa, mutta vain alueilla joissa esiintyy malariaa.
Onko kyseessä siis adaptaatio vai patogeeni? Joissain tapauksissa tämä voi johtaa yksilön kuolemaan (geneettinen umpikuja), mutta jos geenin antama hyöty populaatiolle ovat suuremmat kuin haitat, se voi silti levitä populaatiossa ja olla näin ollen adaptiivinen alleeli. Käsitykseni mukaan homoseksuaalisuus on samantapainen tapaus. Homoseksuaalisuus on haitallista yksilön geneettiselle jatkumolle, mutta sen aiheuttama(t) geeni(t) voivat olla populaation kannalta edullisia.
Potholer54 teki asiaan liittyen erinomaisen videon, joka kannattaa ehdottomasti vilkaista, jos et ole sitä jo nähnyt:
How to confuse a creationist -- Homosexuality, Evolution and the Bible
I didn't like it at first but now I love it and look at it as one of my few tiny windows of opportunity to show to people a) why it's important and b) why it's easy, delicious, and healthy. If I'm not directly asked I can't easily bring it up without coming off as peachy and potentially alienating. I know I won't convince anyone in the moment but it can plant the seed in their minds.
The book that convinced me to take this opportunity and not squander it is [The Animal Activists Handbook] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Animal-Activists-Handbook-Maximizing/dp/1590561201). Highly recommend a read, and the ideas there apply to advocating for any social cause, too. I read it on recommendation from Peter Singer.
>Why do you think homosexuality exists?
Simple. Humans are animals. Animals have an urge to hump things.
Although, it could be have a social role in nature.
>What caused the writers of the Bible to hate on homosexuality?
A lot of misunderstanding about the universe, such as hyenas used to be thought to be able to change sex.
>Is there evidence that there were homosexual cave men and women?
It is very difficult to find evidence of social behavior in cultures without writing.
---
I have no problem with homosexuality or transgender issue, mostly because I am not religious. However, because of Christian Dominionism (think Sharia Law for Christians), this has become a bigger issue that it needs to be.
I have not bought the book, mostly because I am very fond of my own pocket guide but I can never remember the name of it! I used that one as a placeholder. It's very small, thin, and white—truly fits in a pocket. I'm going to try to order the exact one I use but if I can't, I also use this book and find it super easy to access.
Have you read Dominion? I disagree with the author's (and your) opinion that man has dominion over animals, but I think it should definitely be obvious that veganism and christianity (or really any other religion) are not at odds, other than certain mandated animal sacrifices. I think for most people it's really just another excuse.
Have them read Dominion by Matthew Scully. It's written from a Christian perspective.
The Christian Vegetarian Association is also good.
You should give her this book and this article to read, especially this part:
> for every person we convince that veganism is overly demanding by obsessing with an ever-increasing list of ingredients, we do worse than nothing: we turn someone away who could have made a real difference for animals if they hadn’t met us! Currently the vast majority of people in our society have no problem eating the actual leg of a chicken. It is not surprising that many people dismiss vegans as unreasonable and irrational when our example includes interrogating waiters, not eating veggie burgers cooked on the same grill with meat, not taking photographs or using medicines, etc.
And tell her if she really cares about animals, she should spend her time leafleting instead of hounding your boyfriend.
>Exclusive homosexuality does not exist outside of humanity
This is a myth that has perpetuated because naturalists have not wanted to pit themselves against homosexual prejudice.
There is a good book on the subject:
Biological-Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality & Natural Diversity
Quote in the review:
>most scientists have thus far studiously avoided the topic of widespread homosexual behavior in the animal kingdom--sometimes in the face of undeniable evidence
It is a cedar waxwing. And here is a link to a good bird feild guide fo your future shots.
I think the best way to learn about birds is to actually watch them, so I'd recommend finding your nearest nature sanctuary to see if they have birdwatching walks/classes. If you're in North America, the Audubon Society is a great organization that runs bird sanctuaries and teaches people about birds. There are similar organizations in other regions - you'll just need to do a little online searching. There are also loads of books to help you get started, like this one.
You can also learn a lot about birds online. Cornell University provides online ornithology courses, but they also provide tons of free info about North American birds and their nests, global bird sightings, and more.
I started learning about birds by reading books, and there are plenty of great options. Visit your local library to see what they have. Books cover everything from identification to intelligence to falconry.
What kinds of birds are you particularly interested in? Is there any aspect of birds that you find most fascinating, like anatomy, flight, song, color...?
https://www.amazon.com/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Diversity-Stonewall/dp/031225377X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542602162&sr=8-1&keywords=biological+exuberance
Personally, I like the National Geographic Guide to the Birds of North America for a guide that you can carry.
Sibley's is the definitive best guide, but is more of a desk reference. It's a bit big to carry around. Though, there is also a Sibley's app if you like to have the guide on your phone.
It's not more common now than it was 500 years ago. We just happen to have a huge population in which the trait can show itself more often. Check out a book called Biological Exuberance by Bruce Baghemihl it does an excellent job telling of the frequency homosexuality is seen in many species.
http://www.amazon.com/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Diversity-Stonewall/dp/031225377X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291778199&sr=8-1
It's likely.
>1.8% чистиx гeїв сeрeд чоловiкiв в США.
Это чистых геев, только среди мужчин, только в религиозно покусанном США, да. Но вот всех ЛГБТ в США - таки 3.8%.
Иллюстративно распределение по штатам, низкие 1.9%-2.9% в правоверных мачожопенях типа Северной Дакоты, Теннесси, Миссиссипи; высокие 4.9-5.1% в расслабленных местах типа Орегона, Вермонта, Гавайев (10% в Коламбии, но там чисто один город, популяция ЛГБТ нетипично высока).
А теперь возьмем сводку по недавним опросам по ряду развитых стран. Просто просмотрите. Франция, Великобритания - около 6% опрошенных говорят, что они ЛГБТ. Бразилия и Польша Вас очень порадуют.
В среднем получаем примерно 6% ЛГБТ (~3% чистых геев/лесбиянок и ~3% би) при отсутствии сильного культурного прессинга.
P.S. Точные цифры так легко пристрастно выдирать из контекста и презентовать в гордом одиночестве. По-аглицки то, что Вы делаете, называется cherry-picking. В статистике и науке за это бьют подсвечниками. Правильно смотреть на сводки множественных опросов, и на всё распределение данных.
>Майжe нiякиx пiддтeрджeнь гомосeксуальної оріентаціі серед тварин немає. Є деякі моменті, коли тварини однієї статі одна з іншою бавяться, але це не означає, що їх протилежна стать не цікавить. Вони вважають, що всi отi корови, що у стадi друг на друга залaзять - вони вжe лeсбiянки.
Ловите 450 видов животных. Не знаю, есть ли перевод. Да, речь очень часто идёт о долговременных отношениях (где в небольшом, где в большом % особей).
>Цe маячня в кубi та нeрозумiння що такe норма.
Если важно, норма или нет, то про бимодальные и мультимодальные распределения слышали? Какого пола нормальный человек? Или норм может быть больше чем одна? 6% это много, если что.
Вообще не должно быть важно, норма или нет, если поведение не нарушает прав и свобод других граждан. "Права не видеть как праативные целуются" в нормальных (скорее вменяемых) государствах нет.
[The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior] (https://www.amazon.com/Sibley-Guide-Bird-Life-Behavior/dp/1400043867)
I am not sure how this has not been recommended yet! It is one of the best IMO.
Sibley's is probably the most popular ID guide, and it's the one I use. A popular alternative is the National Geographic guide.
Here is a fairly comprehensive review of 100+ brands of binoculars across many price ranges. It is a few years old now, but I haven't come across any better guides since then.
There are more things that you can buy later, but those two things are enough to get started. The main thing I would recommend would be to find a local group (e.g. Audubon club or other naturalist/birdwatching group) to go on birdwatching trips with. She will learn far more from experienced birders than from a book, especially at the beginning.
See the book "Biological Exuberance" for dozens of examples of long-term same-sex relationships in the animal kingdom. The name of the book is the code phrase used by researchers to mean "gay" back in the dark times when being gay was considered a mental illness.
https://www.amazon.com/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Diversity-Stonewall/dp/031225377X
ITT: appeal to nature, 'but its so good' and misinterpreting scripture
Sorry gregwarrior, you won't get much out of this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eAhKIwaj70 http://smile.amazon.com/Dominion-Power-Suffering-Animals-Mercy/dp/0312319738/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427517946&sr=1-3&keywords=dominion
The above book set me on the path for veganism. I read many others after that convinced me more, but this shocked me to my core. Scully has a powerful way with words, being a former speech writer for Bush. He's an excellent example of a Christian vegetarian. In fact, since writing this book, he's gone vegan after being sent I'm sure amany emails about the immense suffering int he dairy industry. The most basic argument I've seen, beyond that we'll be vegan in the second coming and Gods perfect world was vegan, was that eating animals [when we don't have to] doesn't align with Jesus message of mercy. http://www.jesuspeopleforanimals.com/
“Animals are more than ever a test of our character, of mankind's capacity for empathy and for decent, honorable conduct and faithful stewardship. We are called to treat them with kindness, not because they have rights or power or some claim to equality, but in a sense because they don't; because they all stand unequal and powerless before us.”
“When a man’s love of finery clouds his moral judgment, that is vanity. When he lets a demanding palate make his moral choices, that is gluttony. When he ascribes the divine will to his own whims, that is pride. And when he gets angry at being reminded of animal suffering that his own daily choices might help avoid, that is moral cowardice.” ― Matthew Scully, Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy
I hope you are made to feel welcome. I have huge respect for your willingness to engage with a group with different values (or perceived to at least), and also challenge the values of your own group. It's something I think the world needs a lot more of, so your post makes me happy.
I don't think anybody can promise nobody will ever say anything you take offence to or pick an argument, but you probably have pretty thick skin already as a Mormon on reddit.
I've heard good things about the book 'Dominion' for a case for animal rights from a Christian perspective. I haven't read it myself, and it's not specifically Mormon, so I can't say how much use it will be to you in discussions with other Mormons, but maybe it will be interesting?
well those two things are pretty much what I used 😅
I busted out this 750 page monstrosity, found a decent match, and then compared it to sightings on eBird for Pichincha Province, where Mindo is. Luckily Mindo (and Ecuador in general) is pretty well covered by eBird, and Buff-tailed Coronet is pretty common in the area.
The book Dominion deals with this. Check out the product description on the Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Dominion-Power-Suffering-Animals-Mercy/dp/0312319738#productDescription_secondary_view_div_1459217136222
It's interesting this came up today I just got this book on the subject yesterday which is a conservative, religious case for veganism written by a president bush speechwriter.
I found I'm often at a loss when people go to a religious claim as it's difficult for me to argue rational facts when they're interjecting supernatural verification of their viewpoints. I just started it but hopefully it will be useful the next time I run into these conversations.
One thing I can be sure of though is I bet God granting dominion over animals probably didn't have in mind an industrialized insanely efficient system like we have today.
Biological Exuberance
http://www.amazon.com/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Natural-Diversity/dp/0312192398/
Many, many animals engage in behavior that is divergent from "standard" heterosexual interactions.
I suppose we better start "conversion therapy" on the entire animal kingdom (768 pages of unnatural goodness).
Humans are pretty fucking dumb when it comes to shit they don't understand. More often than not they will simply try to kill it. Religion simply tends to reinforce this idiocy.
The new Sibley guide is my favorite, hands-down.
Some also like the Nat Geo guide (6th edition) - great range maps, broken down by subspecies where relevant! - but the artwork is less consistently good, in my opinion.
Sibley's illustrations are clean, easy to navigate, intelligently laid out for maximum ease of comparison, and (frankly) beautiful. The second edition (=new) also has added life history information for many species.
I own both, but whenever prompted to recommend only one, it will always be Sibley. The first edition played a huge role in me getting into birding. :)
Happy birding!
^(edit: fixed grammatical error)
Not to instigate an argument, but it's kinda sorta common. Or at least more common than I originally thought. Definitely still a minority though. Good book on the subject.
Yeah... thankfully, no one has done any studies on the subject since then.
Either way, Desmond Morris was a zoo director observing animals in captivity who then drew parallels to human social constructs. He was not observing animals in the wild, and his statement should be taken as someone reflecting the common belief at the time, not as an expert with hard data to back him up.
I would always reccommend an actual field guide over an app, they are just more useful, but apps can be a good complement. For field guides, Sibley just came out with his new guide, which is probably the best one you can get.
You could also try National Geographic or Peterson's Guides, they are good. Kaufman has a really good guide that is geared more towards beginners, but has as much info as a full-sized guide.
As for Apps, there is Sibley, National Geographic, Peterson's, and iBird PRO, all of which are decent and have bird songs on them, which is probably the best feature. Its mostly personal preference between these.
http://www.amazon.com/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Natural-Diversity/dp/0312192398
Although I can find no source definitely documenting "homophobia" in humans alone (which would be difficult as -phobia indicates emotion/feeling, and we can't really evaluate the emotions and feelings of non-speaking animals)
There's a generally well liked book on this subject called "Biological Exuberance". I thought it got a little creepy at times, not in content, but tone.
When my ex-husband came out, his mom was worried about how his elderly Midwestern grandmother would take it. She needn't have been since what grandma said was "oh please, I grew up on a farm! Spend some time with barnyard animals and you'll never doubt that homosexuality is a natural variation."
This was the only book required for the course. The lab is all memorizing birds and their scientific names, ID-ing them from specimens, and field outings to view them. The actual lecture part is mostly anatomy so far. I think we'll get into behavior as well, but it's all pretty in depth.
> The only times homosexuality has been observed in non-Homo Sapiens animals are when such animals are IN CAPTIVITY
Wrong, one look at the Wikipaedia article on this shows multiple examples of homosexual behaviour in the wild. Further examples here and here and an article on Fox news that specifically acknowledges it. Also for specific examples- gorillas, sumatran orangutans, gibbons
Ant then theres a book, Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity which lists another 450 species in which it has been observed in the wild. I have that book
Not sure about the number, but lions are totally gay. It's probably a lot more than 8%. This is from the book biological exuberance
I got this book last year and it’s absolutely phenomenal. It shows both female and male colors, breeding and non-breeding seasons, as well as flight patterns for that bird and maps during the different seasons as well.
The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior is a good starting place. It's not as technical as the more academic textbooks, but is much more detailed than some of the other recommendations.
I highly, highly recommend David Sibley's Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. It gives you a tremendous range of information about what are essentially ornithological subfields (evolution, migration, nesting, etc.), but written in a bright and accessible way. Plus with lots of Sibley's lovely illustration!
I might add that although it uses (mostly) North American birds as examples, the general information and insights will be true for all birders everywhere.
A book, on veganism, by Matthew Scully, who is an ardent pro-lifer, and was a speech writer for George W. Bush and Sarah Palin. The central thesis of the book is to rebutt the quote which you are referencing.
https://www.amazon.com/Dominion-Power-Suffering-Animals-Mercy-ebook/dp/B003J5UJ04/
Pro tip for anyone taking pictures of tracks: If it's possible, take a picture of the entire series of tracks so we can see its gait and how it walked/trotted. With all that snow, you probably could've got a good picture with a lot of tracks visible. That is a huge clue when looking at canine tracks. A domestic dog will usually wander around most of the time and will be noticeably more clumsy and inconsistent with its gait. A wild canine will usually know where it wants to go and it will be nearly a straight line with one foot in front of the other.
Anyone that thinks they can positively ID that track from that picture is only fooling themselves.
That being said: According to the book Tracking and the Art of Seeing: How to Read Animal Tracks and Sign by Paul Rezendes, a wolf's front track will be between 3 7/8" to 5 1/2" long by 2 3/8" to 5" wide. The rear track will be 3 1/8" to 4 3/4 long by 2 1/4" to 4 1/4" wide. An eastern coyote's front track will be 2 7/8" to 3 1/2" long by 1 7/8" to 2 1/2" wide. The rear track will be 2 1/2" to 3" long by 1 5/8" to 2 1/8" wide.
According to that, a big coyote and a small wolf will come within 1/8" of overlapping in the size of their paws. And now add in that soft snow will splay out their toes and the fact that when snow melts even a little, the track expands.... and you have yourself quite the dilemma on what you're looking at.
Edit: I swear I'm not making a sales pitch, but that book was a great purchase. http://www.amazon.com/Tracking-Art-Seeing-Animal-Tracks/dp/0062735241
To add another dimension to /u/franlyfran's "joke gift" idea. Is it possible to think of shows, scenes, sketches, stand-up specials, skits and stuff you like that involve the toy in question? And then to say that you and this "friend's" shared appreciation for [insert thing] provided the context for which it would be sort of funny but not sexual, for the "friend" to give you such a gift.
This idea only came to me because a friend of mine gave me this book on animal homosexuality, a friend with which I share such a bond (which is a love of all things Gervais) that makes it OK! Although, as nosy as my mother is too, she's yet to find it!
Hope it works out.
Not in any orifice.
There is actually a significant Judeo-Christian movement that is vegan though. See for instance, Dominion or a more recent article from the same author. Years before this book came out, a very similar interpretation of the creation story in Genesis was taught at my Episcopalian high school.
My experience is that people have interpreted the Bible to encourage whatever lifestyle they choose. Be it slaveownership, polygamy, eating meat, or veganism.
If both you and your girlfriend like watching birds in your area, i suggest buying a bird book to encourage your interests. It's a lifelong hobby that only gets more interesting as time passes. I'm sure others will have their own favorite, but my suggestion is:
National Geographic Birds of North America
Good luck!
Here's a good read on the topic: https://www.amazon.com/Dominion-Power-Suffering-Animals-Mercy/dp/0312319738/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1479745288&sr=1-1&keywords=dominion
I knew I know that face from somewhere.
Homosexuality among animals is well documented. If you're too snooty for Wikipedia, try a book: https://www.amazon.com/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Diversity-Stonewall/dp/031225377X
My two favorites, for understanding the general ideas of ecology without memorizing the nitrogen cycle, are Reading the Forested Landscape and Tracking and the Art of Seeing. Those are the books that convinced me that I wanted to study ecology in graduate school.
FWIW, I also enjoy memorizing the nitrogen cycle.
Maybe the Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior?
That's awesome that you're getting into birding! Some great resources are Merlin Bird ID, eBird, and Audubon's Bird app. A goood paper resource is Sibley's. Good luck and patience is a virtue!
I'm using The Smartypants' Guide to Environmental Science for self study
Here on Amazon; could also find on online maybe
https://www.amazon.com/Smartypants-Guide-Environmental-Science-Exam/dp/1411644778
5 steps to 5 pdf online somewhere. Not currently using it, but it's free, the more the better I guess.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3RVreGMg1lQajVteUl2SzJnZHM
Also PR and Barron's, but someone said Smartypants' was all you needed for environmental science.
You might also want to try out the Merlin Bird ID app from Cornell for iOS/Android. It asks you 5 fairly simple questions (location, date, size of bird, color of bird, behavior of bird) and then gives you a list of possible birds based on ebird activity in that area during that time. It's very helpful when you first start out and you don't even know broadly what type of bird you are looking at.
As you become more knowledgable then a good field guide becomes invaluable, and I'll second pallum's suggestion of Sibley's Guide to Birds, Second Edition.
should try and read the book then;
http://www.amazon.com/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Diversity-Stonewall/dp/031225377X
Have you even read the article? If you think that torturing animals isn't a sin, be my guest to use the Bible to back it up. Either you don't understand what factory farming is, or you don't understand what the Bible says about our responsibility to creation. So allow me to "back this up."
I am sorry, but you cannot justify torturing a living creature and expect me to take you seriously.
There is actually a book documenting all kinds of same sex relationships in the animal kingdom.
Bam
how does the nurture theory explain the homosexuality documented in hundreds of other species?
edit: pick up Biological Exuberance for a thought provoking read.
There's also an excellent discussion of this in Stephen Jay Gould's book, Bully for Brontosaurus. It's the fifth essay in this book of many excellent essays.
As someone that lived in Utah valley at the age of 14-15, let me tell you that reality is very different there then Mormons anywhere else in the world. I'm sure you are familiar with the cliques that form to show how righteous they are. I really got tired of people thinking it was the most righteous place on earth. (Even more so than SLC because of the worldly influence there).
The reason why I bring this up is anyone accepting you as you are has to admit there is a flaw in Mormonism. Since one of the basic premises of Mormonism is that the prophet can not have any flaws, you must be wrong. They will try to change you to save their own faith.
I say this with the idea that you already recognize that there is a discordance between what you have been taught and your own personal reality. So let me introduce you to the concept of religion and the concept of church. For example, it is OK to be Catholic, but think the Pope is wrong. You can believe in the religion and disagree with the church, in the same way that you would not worship the UPS man for delivering you something you really wanted.
(As a side note, there will be people that tell you that you are not natural, and your feelings are not natural. The perfect rebuttal is to mention that the rate of the population that show homosexual tendencies is 1.5% to 3% across all mammals. Here is the reference Mormonism says animals can not sin - therefore being gay can not be a sin.)
tl;dr God created gay animals, therefore you're normal, Utah Valley isn't
Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity Christ, I love Ricky Gervais.
Right wing vegan reporting in.
There's more conservative animal rights advocates then you think. Matthew Scully, former speech writer for George Bush is just one example.
https://www.amazon.ca/Dominion-Power-Suffering-Animals-Mercy/dp/0312319738
Homosexuality is well documented and been known for a long time (source: Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity (Stonewall Inn Editions (Paperback)) https://www.amazon.com/dp/031225377X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_prkBDbH4HMXTB ).
The problem is (and I speak on both sides of the political spectrum) people only care about the statistics that support what they already want to believe.
Hm.
Toss in something about homosexual animals...
http://www.amazon.com/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Diversity-Stonewall/dp/031225377X
There are virtually no attributes of humans that are not shared to some degree with animals, which is unsurprising since humans are animals. I have no idea whether human homosexuality is one thing or many, but as exhaustive studies have shown, it's a trait shared by animals. See Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity . It's thought that having non-reproductive males in a group assists its survival, and those males pass on their genes by proxy, as they are near relations with other other members of the group.
Any new world sparrow (House Sparrow are old world sparrow, introduced in the 1800s)! Most common backyard ones are White-Throated, White-Crowned, Eastern Towhee, and Dark-Eyed Junco. I'd recommend investing in an ID guide, as those little brown birds are one of the best ways to get your life species count up quick. Sibley's Field Guide to Eastern Birds is what I use, and what I recommend at my birding tours that I lead.
For field guides the more generalized ones are usually easier to get a hold of. A few you could look at are from National Geographic, Peterson, and Sibley. There are also some books for getting started, such as Sibley's Birding Basics. Backyard Bird guides are also a good place to start.
For North Dakota specifically I found this great pdf that covers all the basics of bird watching, and this field guide. Hope this helps!
In my teaching I talk about this a lot! Same-sex sexual behavior is REALLY common in non-human animals (common meaning seen in a lot of species; there are not as many, but still quite a few, species where it is commonly seen among populations). Check out Biological Exuberance for a VERY long laundry list of species where these behaviors have been observed.
I make it a point to lecture on this in my classes because it's a topic that's always of interest, and it's an interesting case study in the limits of scientific inquiry and evolutionary thought (how does something evolve if it potentially limits reproductive output? how do we come up with a biological definition of same-sex sexual behavior that can be systematized for genetics/cognition/etc?).
When people say that homosexuality is not "natural", I generally ask them what they mean by "natural", and then go from their own definition to break down the misunderstanding. If it's based on the idea that animals don't do it in nature, I gladly give them a small sampling of the laundry list :) It's been observed in so many natural populations (including humans! we are still existing in nature, even if modified!) that this argument just doesn't hold water.
I would get her This book. IMO its the essential book to have on birds.
need is very hard to prove. it's hard enough to show that it's a vital thing for humans.
however, there are critters that are known to masturbate in a recognizable way. both varieties of chimp, dolphins, other primates and supposedly dogs.
now, the bonobo chimp is much more known for their sexual behavior and it is certainly a huge part of their social structure. they're not just close to humans genetically, their sexual behaviors mirror ours very closely. enough so that I would call their masturbation a necessary part of their life.
but the more standard chimp also masturbates. and it seems to fill a similar role as their smaller cousins and ourselves.
all species of ape have been observed masturbating, depending on exactly how tightly you define it. ejaculation isn't always involved for males, and orgasm isn't always visible if it's happening for females. but the behavior is there.
the same can be said of pretty much all the monkeys as well.
so for primates, I feel confident in saying yes, they do need to masturbate and appear to enjoy it.
dolphins are hard to peg down. without hands, their masturbation isn't what we would normally recognize as such. but they do engage in auto erotic behaviors. they'll also pretty much hump anything they want to lol. is it masturbation? I'd say so. it seems to be done for pleasure and can involve orgasm/ejaculation. I exclude their habit of trying to have sex with other species and only invoked the "humping"of inanimate objects. I've heard that some professionals consider their proclivity to hump other animals a form of masturbation rather than a true sexual attempt though.
dogs though. they're more difficult. the behavior seems to be limited to males for one thing. and it's pretty much oral only and doesn't involve ejaculation. there's also no conclusive way to say it's done for pleasure, and it doesn't involve ejaculation. so, is it masturbation? myself, I say no. but there's disagreement about that even among real experts.
beyond that, there's a few types of avians that seem to do things that might be masturbation. I haven't seen any research into that part of things though.
if you check out Biologic Exuberance you'll find some info on masturbation like behaviors. it's not the actual purpose of the book, but it covers some relevant data.
as far as I know, there aren't any easily accessible books on the subject as a whole. you'd have to dig for publications by specialists doing studies on the various genera and species. it's out there to be sure, but it's almost always buried under other information. masturbation isn't really something that most scientists are going to put forward as a significant data point when they publish. so you'll find maybe a line or two where they mention genital self stimulation and that's all.
I guess to sum up, I'd say that when a species does masturbate, it seems to be a fairly important part of their behaviors.
Here's a link!
Read the reviews, they are much better in articulating the book, as-well as I haven't finished it yet: but I am enjoying it so far. :)
It's interesting that you should mention hell. I'm wondering if this documentary is based on the book Dominion, which has a strong religious basis.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003J5UJ04/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Not only do I know that I do believe animal rights is possible, but I know that some of the most successful vegan activists have tried both approaches (celebrating the strides we DO make vs. refusing to celebrate anything short of our end goals). They taught me that I'll make the biggest difference by being friendly and celebrating compromises rather than being militant and telling people that their activism isn't good enough. See Matt Ball's and Bruce Friedrich's famous book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Animal-Activists-Handbook-Maximizing/dp/1590561201
The Curious Life of Krill!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Curious-Life-Krill-Conservation-Bottom/dp/1610918533/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1521803072&sr=1-1&keywords=krill
Oh man... that kind of tracking takes a looooong time to get any good at, and is honestly beyond the reach of most sane people. At least, being able to do it in a timely fashion. Not to mention, if your friend has a paintball gun and is hidden somewhere in the woods... blundering around looking for his tracks is a really good way to get your ass shot.
If you really want to get the drop on him, read up on still hunting and learn how to really keep your eyes and ears open. Keep still more often than you move, and learn how to read good cover in the landscape. Especially this: keep still, keep low, and look for movement.
Deer know what's up: if they sense danger, they freeze in place and go on high-alert. Moving things are easy to see, still things are not. Don't run around like Rambo moving from tree to tree if you plan on sneaking around at all (although honestly, if you're playing around with paintball guns it will rapidly devolve into this).
If you want to pursue tracking, read these books for starters:
You need to do some reading before you claim we need religion to reach us morals. Even chimps are a lot more than just killing and throwing poo...
http://www.amazon.com/The-Age-Empathy-Natures-Lessons/dp/0307407764
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20120626%2FNEWS0107%2F206260346%2F0%2FSEARCH
Maybe you could get her to read Dominion by Matthew Scully. It's written for a conservative Christian audience. Here's a good article by him:
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/359761/pro-life-pro-animal-matthew-scully
And there's the Christian Vegetarian Association's FAQ section:
http://christianveg.org/honoring.htm
Actually, homosexuality absolutely is natural. It's not a matter of politics, and hasn't been for a long time. It is a fact.
Homosexual behaviour is documented in hundreds of animal species, including guinea pigs (my own pets actually did this... or at least, one did it to the other), bonobos, several species of dolphin (who fuck each others' blowholes), hedgehogs, penguins, ducks, sheep, cassowaries, sunfish, char, salmon, etc. I could go on for a long time and mention animals you've never even heard of.
There's actually a delightful book on the subject that I'd recommend to anyone with a slightly unhealthy interest in it. It even has lovingly-drawn illustrations of lesbian hedgehog cunnilingus!
Some solids in my life:
I'd recommend picking up a good field guide and just having fun trying to identify the birds you see around your area. The variety presented in a field guide will seem daunting at first, but it'll quickly become easier as you familiarize yourself with the common families and learn to narrow down the possibilities by range, habitat, behavior, etc. The two major fields guides are by Pizzey & Knight and Simpson & Day. The Pizzey & Knight served me well a few years ago when I was down under. As for a general interest guide, I can only recommend this one, but it's North America-centric. I don't know if there's a good counterpart for Australasia. An excellent way to learn more is to join field trips organized by your local bird club. Plenty of birders would be happy to show you the ropes. If you want to get serious about the hobby, you'd also want to get yourself a good pair of binoculars. Australia's a really fun place to go birdwatching because of its unique and exotic bird life. You're gonna have lots of fun, so get out there and look at some birds!
In addition to the fine books recommended here already (especially Wildwood Wisdom), I also liked:
Tracking and the Art of Seeing: How to Read Animal Tracks and Sign
Finding Your Way Without Map or Compass
And, oddly enough, The Journals of Lewis and Clark (free for kindle) is pretty awesome when considered from an outdoors/bushcraft point of view.
Freethinkers by Jacoby was quite interesting.
Another that may be a little out of your comfort zone is any collection of essays by Stephen Jay Gould, for example Bull for Brontosaurus or Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes. He would engage often in anti-creationism and participated in a mock recreation of the Scopes trial on an anniversary. He gives great explanations of evolution to the layman which is his primary focus, but one needs a good science grounding to argue against creationists. After that, you could check out one of his regular books perhaps.
Thanks for your comment. I prepared a figure to illustrate my explanation.
here!
Please read a short article by Stewart 1999 paper for free here
First, I think we can all agree that current flows from positive to negative (as described by Kirchoff's Laws). If you think of a charged capacitator (current flowing from left to right) you will find that the left plate would be charged with positive charge whereas the right plate would be charged with negative charge. The membrane of cells behave like capacitators.
Now, an inward current (positive ions flowing towards the inside of the cell) would charge positively the outer membrane, and negatively the inner membrane. This makes the membrane hyperpolarized.
On the other hand, an outward current would charge positively the INNER membrane, and negatively the OUTER membrane. This makes the membrane depolarized.
This confuses a lot of people (even wikipedia has this wrong!). I would recommend this text for harden electrophysiologists (it also explains in detail potassium capacitated currents (as also Hudgkin and Huxley hypothesized in their original papers).
People are right when they say that the membrane depolarizes when Na+ enters the cell and that blocking VGNaC also blocks AP firing. What people do not understand is that Na+ does not directly depolarize the membrane, but triggers K+ to do so.
Homosexuality has been observed in over 450 animal species. Homophobia has only been observed in 1. So tell me now, which is more unnatural?
Your reaction is totally normal. Pretty much everyone in the LGBT world has gone through a period of self-loathing. Society tells us we're worthless, but those claims are based on fear and ignorance. All evidence points to the fact that our sexuality is innate... and there's nothing wrong with it. There's nothing wrong with you! Don't beat yourself up for your mere capacity to love someone of the same sex. If there's anything the world needs more of -- it's love!
Have patience, LOSTnhope! There are lots of us out here rooting for you in your long, tough road of self-discovery. hugs
Yes.
Too many examples to mention but the most talked about examples online would include Bonobo Monkeys and Giraffes. If you want more info on the topic I would suggest the book "Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity" by Bruce Bagemihl Dont let the title fool you. It covers much more than homosexuality.
Axon guide is good but lacks much of the theory behind EPhys.
This book helped me and is worth the money spent: https://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Cellular-Neurophysiology-MIT-Press/dp/0262100533
I'm into Ornithology and go birding on a regular basis. I don't know what book I read it in, but rear neck feathers are riiight next to the feathers on it's head, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's what the wiki article is referring to. If I had to guess, I would say Birds Do It, Too, though it may have been mentioned off-hand in The Sibley Guide to Birds.
From the cover of the book 'Superdove' by Courney Humphries.)
Pretty much. This sucks. We are agreeing too much to get the feeling. Except: Up and down are not ingrained in the fabric of the universe. There is no up and down except as perceived by someone. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt and assume you know this, just chose a bad example.
Here's a non-philosophical book about it. I read it a long time ago and don't recall what field he called it, but it's basically about animal behavior. He describes the territorial behavior of all sorts of animals, from the tiniest to the biggest. Interesting stuff.
---
Another nitpick =>
> The instinct to defend ones own & respect others territory ...
Actually, respecting others territory is learned. If someone has something you want, the instinct is to take it unless it's current controller can stop you. Children naturally steal and have to be taught not to. Just a quibble.
Remember this from that Ricky Gervais special?
In addition to what LordSariel mentions, there are books and sites you can use to back up your claim. An example of one book that covers animal same-sex behavior is "Biological Exuberance", by Bruce Bagemihl. Also see Wikipedia's article on Homosexual behavior in animals for more references.
Word of caution about this: See NARTH's response for potential refutes to the argument.
Here's an interesting book about religious veganism:
https://www.amazon.com/Dominion-Power-Suffering-Animals-Mercy/dp/0312319738
Uh homosexuality is completely normal, it exists all over nature.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexual_behavior_in_animals
http://www.amazon.com/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Natural-Diversity/dp/0312192398
Since the exam is way to close to read hundreds of pages in Barrons or PR, I bought the Smartypants Guide to AP Environmental Science. It is not too wordy compared to other review books and everything is right to the point with definitions and diagrams. It has 2 practice tests and also only 79 pages of content, but it doesn't take long to read at all.
Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/Smartypants-Guide-Environmental-Science-Exam/dp/1411644778
Happy studying!
We are very clearly allowed to eat animals; no one (well, not many people) would contest that. But I think the Bible clearly shows that animals are God's, not ours - and being allowed to eat them is not the same thing as being allowed to torture them, and that's the crux of the issue for a modern day person contemplating the modern meat industry. Animals were treated much differently, and far better, in Bible times than they are in our factory farms, feedlots, and slaughter houses. Volumes have been written on the subject; I strongly recommend Dominion by Matthew Scully if you want to read a good, measured argument for how we should treat animals.
https://www.amazon.com/Sibley-Field-Guide-Eastern-America/dp/0307957918
This one is basically the bible if you fall into its range
(Repost from user wcclirl444 on college confidential)
NOTE: Be sure to order the books listed later in this guide ahead of time so that you have them for the weekend before the exam to study. Almost no store carry's the Smartypants Guide, so you will have to order it online.
Hey everyone. I self-studied for the APES exam this year and started literally 36 hours before the exam. In order to make the best use of my time, I spent hours trying to figure out the most efficient way to study and thought that I would share what I have learned. Although I would recommend to start study for this earlier than I did, if you have the dedication and use my methods listed below, I believe that you should be able to learn the entire AP class in just 2 days like I did.
I would recommend the following to study:
-Smartypants Guide (make sure you know everything in it... the book is small and you should be able to do this in about a full day of serious studying) Link: http://www.amazon.com/Smartypants-Guide-Environmental-Science-Exam/dp/1411644778/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336448288&sr=8-1
-Princeton Review (read through this entire book after you read smartypants and use it to connect ideas together and to expand on the concepts that were in the Smartypants guide. Also, this will help with understanding the weather patterns and a few other important topics which Smartypants just skims over. I was able to just read through this the night before the exam and I retained most of the additional information) Link: http://www.amazon.com/Cracking-Environmental-Science-Edition-Preparation/dp/0375427295/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336448311&sr=1-1
-5 Steps to a 5 500 APES questions book (note that this is NOT a review book... it just contains 500 MC questions. Personally, I think that these were quite realistic in terms of what was on the exam but perhaps a little more difficult. Use this to figure out what topics you need to reemphasize after reading through the Princeton Review book) Link: http://www.amazon.com/Environmental-Questions-Advanced-Placement-Examinations/dp/0071780742/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336448340&sr=1-1
-1998 Released Exam (this was an incredible resource that I neglected to take advantage of until just hours before the exam. This provided incredibly useful insight as to what they are looking for in the FRQs that might not be explicitly stated in the questions. Also, many of the FRQ questions and multiple choice were incredibly similar to the ones on the actual exam) Link: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/env-sci-released-exam-1998.pdf
If you are self studying this or have a bad teacher and have waited until the last minute to start studying (the weekend before the exam), I would recommend the following STUDY PLAN:
Use Saturday to memorize and know everything in the Smartpants Guide by heart. Although it is a fairly short book (about 65 pages of content), this will take all day to get a thorough understanding.
Use Sunday morning to read all of PR and expand on any topics that were not covered enough in Smartypants (try to retain as much additional info as possible. Also, wake up around 8ish for this and it should take about 4-5 hours to do).
Then, go and do the 1st 10 MC questions in each section of the 5 steps to a 5 500 questions book and review any sections where you missed more than 2 questions in by using the PR book (also go over the answers in the 5 steps to a 5 book... several of the questions in here were actually covered on the exam).
At about 3-4ish, you should try the 1st 40 questions of the 1998 exam to give yourself an idea of where you are. I got about 37 of these right and you should be close to that. Also, go over any question that less than 85% of people who got 5s got correct (you can view this at the end of the exam in the answer key).
By around 5, you should begin to go over the FRQs on the released exam and pay close attention to how they grade and give points which is shown in the answer key (focus on how they are grading the questions instead of the questions themselves... by now, you should already know the answers to them).
Lastly, try to get a good nights rest if you can. If you don't know the material, you may have to pull an all nighter, but that should not be the case if you have followed this plan. When you wake up, go over all of the terms in the back of the Smartypants Guide and PR and get ready for the fun!
Hopefully this will help some people in the future. I spent several hours trying to find the most efficient way to study for this, and I believe that my method is by far the easiest and most efficient way to cram for this exam.
http://www.amazon.com/Birds-Peru-Princeton-Field-Guides/dp/069113023X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422107016&sr=8-1&keywords=Birds+of+Peru+%28Princeton+Field+Guides%29
http://www.amazon.com/Birds-Ecuador-Field-Guide/dp/0801487218/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422107072&sr=8-1&keywords=birds+of+ecuador
http://www.amazon.com/Travellers-Wildlife-Ecuador-Galapagos-Islands/dp/1566565308/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1422107072&sr=8-6&keywords=birds+of+ecuador
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Gal%C3%A1pagos-Islands-Isabel-Castro/dp/0713639164/ref=sr_1_34?ie=UTF8&qid=1422107144&sr=8-34&keywords=birds+of+ecuador
http://www.betterworldbooks.com/Guide-to-the-Birds-of-the-Galapagos-Islands-id-9780691012254.aspx
http://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Birds-Peru/dp/0934797188/ref=sr_1_35?ie=UTF8&qid=1422107144&sr=8-35&keywords=birds+of+ecuador
If you haven't already, definitely check out this book, by far the best I've seen on the topic (for animals), and I've read a bunch. This one is another great one.
> Biologically, homosexual relationships don't work to further a species.
Yes they do. Two male geese, as an example, are far better at raising a brood than a male/female are.
http://www.amazon.com/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Diversity-Stonewall/dp/031225377X/ref=sr_1_1/187-8590692-7268402?ie=UTF8&qid=1382549797&sr=8-1&keywords=biological+exuberance
Is this the edition that includes both the Eastern and Western books?
The Sibley Guide to Birds, 2nd Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/030795790X/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_OM1FwbF8J92QN
This is a great book: https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Activists-Handbook-Maximizing-Flashpoint/dp/1590561201
Well Ive heard some good things about this book.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Age-Empathy-Natures-Lessons/dp/0307407764
It seems to be the norm and not an exception
I think this is the most recent single-volume book. There's a two book set as well, but that seems impractical
I read a book on pigeons called Superdove back in 2008. It was a decent book, a history of pigeons.
They're not so bad and I like the nickname.
Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity
Pretty easy to tear down.
First it's always good to start a debate knowing what your arguing against, So the first thing to ask is what their definition of "Natural" and "unnatural" is, The typical definition and the way the word "Natural" is commonly used is:
>Existing in or derived from nature; not made or caused by humankind
If their definition significantly differs to that then you're arguing against a claim that doesn't follow our languages usage or definitions of common words in which case you're just going to end up wasting your time arguing over definitions, So long as their definition fits this criteria you can move on.
Based on that definition all you need to do is prove that homosexuality occurs "naturally" i.e. "without human intervention"
Which oh boy, we already can, You can point them towards This Wikipedia Article or alternatively they can read up the book "Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity" written by Canadian biologist Bruce Bagemihl which shows homosexuality occurring in hundreds/thousands of species other than humans.
​
Alternatively What I like to do is to humor their initial claim that "Homosexuality is unnatural" and see where that assertion leads.
So for the discussion we can establish a hypothetical scenario in which they're right and that homosexuality only occurs in humans making it for all intents and purposes "unnatural".
Now that we've created our hypothetical scenario what other conclusions can we draw from that information?... The answer is none, Because neither "natural" things or "unnatural" things have any other inherent qualities or properties that you can make assertions or draw conclusions from, The only question you've answered is whether it occurs with or without human intervention...
The argument that "Homosexuality is unnatural" is typically coming from the Naive perspective that "All unnatural things are inherently bad!" which is obviously nonsense because I doubt these same people making this same stupid argument are going to be the ones denying their children life saving medications because the meds are "unnatural" or refusing to drive to work because cars are "unnatural"
​
Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy
Emaciated vegetarian
woops. That's totally the mobile site. My bad.
regular link
Homosexuality is documented in other animals as well. So yes, it is
> normal like today's society is trying to make it seem
Why are we any different?
Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/039526619X/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?qid=1426302477&sr=1-11&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=peterson%27s+field+guides
^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?
A little broader focused than GTA specifically, but The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America is a really good starter field guide (Peterson and National Geograpic are two others).
And, if your mom is a reader I'd also suggest Kyo Maclear's Birds Art Life which is the story about a Toronto author discovering birds in the area while she deals with her dying father.
There's actually a book written by a former senior speechwriter for George W. Bush that talks about animal welfare from a Christian perspective.
Just maybe: http://www.amazon.com/The-Territorial-Imperative-Personal-Property/dp/1568361440
Yeah, I think it will shut them up. Another study I saw suggested that the effect was particularly strong in people who had experienced strict, authoritarian parenting so bring that up if they are conservatives.
Edit: This is a major work on animal homosexuality.
Dr Joan Roughgarden is another expert in this field.
I'll leave this here for you. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00846WZ5A/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1504649525&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=natural+exuberance
I think I might have actually been thinking of Dominion. I have not read it, based on the reviews it looks like it makes the case for eating vegan while insisting that animals are not our equals.
The news article linked by OP is a much more current example, but it is worthy to note that a book was written on the subject as well. It's by a Canadian biologist named Bruce Bagemihl:
Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity
Yes, I'm reading The Curious Life of Krill by Stephen Nicol.
Krill do it deep in the Southern Ocean
Single krill swimming around, living her life
It's a misinterpretation to think that the only purpose of sex is child production. Sexuality is a form of communication for many animals, including humans--and from what we see elsewhere in the animal kingdom, heterosexuality is not necessarily the default. Many other species exhibit bisexuality and homosexuality, and while such individuals may not go on to reproduce, they will continue to benefit their social groups and rear their offspring.
Consider bonobos, one of our closest relatives on the evolutionary tree, and a species which engages regularly in bisexual orgies as a means of social discourse. In comparison, our strict monogamous heterosexual ideals may be the more "unnatural" of the two lifestyles.
Suggested reading, if you're still curious: Sex at Dawn and Biological Exuberance.
Maybe suggest the book Dominion. It's written by a Christian, conservative vegan and talks about religious reasons to abstain from animal products (title references God giving man dominion over the animals, but that doesn't mean killing them).
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/039526619X/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?qid=1426302477&sr=1-11&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=peterson%27s+field+guides
Well heres a book by a scientist about it https://www.amazon.com/Biological-Exuberance-Homosexuality-Diversity-Stonewall-ebook/dp/B00846WZ5A