Statistical inference from capture data on closed animal populations

Otis, Burnham, White, and Anderson produced the foundational monograph on closed-population capture-recapture, defining the suite of models that allow for variation in capture probability over time, by behavior (trap response), and among individuals (heterogeneity), together with their combinations. Their framework and the associated program CAPTURE became the analytical backbone for early camera-trap abundance estimation, including Karanth's pioneering tiger work, where photographs of individually identifiable animals function as captures and recaptures. Understanding and modeling capture-probability heterogeneity, a central theme of the monograph, remains crucial for unbiased abundance estimates from camera data. Though predating camera trapping, this work is a deep methodological root of the field and is regularly cited as the origin of the closed-population estimators camera studies rely upon.