The genesis of animal play : testing the limits / Gordon M. Burghardt.

Cambridge, Mass. ; London : The MIT Press, 2006.

xvi, 501 pages : black and white illustrations ; 23 cm

First MIT Press paperback edition.

"A Bradford book."

Originally published, 2005.

Foreword / Brian Sutton-Smith -- pt. 1. The nature of play -- Play: many meanings, few answers -- Footprints in the sand: the origins and radiation of play theory -- Defining play: can we stop playing around? -- A guide to the diversity of play -- Nothing is simple: studying the hows and whys of play -- The genesis of play: an integrative approach -- pt. 2. The phylogeny of play -- The path through the major evolutionary landscapes -- Play in the placental mammals -- The alternate radiation: play in marsupials -- Does the platypus play? -- Play is for the birds too -- The cool reptiles -- The origins of vertebrate play: fish that leap, juggle, and tease -- Play at the margins: invertebrates -- The legacy and future of play.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 407-460) and index.