Covering the contextual and taxonomic diversity of cannibalism, this book explains its costs, benefits, and consequences for a taxonomically broad distribution of species from lower eukaryotes to higher primates.

The authors, all experts in their taxon of interest, use theory developed for the analysis of foraging, sociality, demography, and genetics to assess the ecological and evolutionary causes and effects of cannibalism. The emerging picture from recent research challenges the view that cannibalism is either abnormal behaviour or an infrequent addition to the predator's usual diet.