Family ties shape social lives of bull sharks
Bull sharks have a slight preference for spending time with their relatives, new research shows.
Evolution
Aug 4, 2026
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Page 11: Research news on animal behavior
Animal behavior is the scientific study of the observable actions, interactions, and behavioral patterns of animals, typically investigated within ethology, behavioral ecology, and comparative psychology. It encompasses mechanisms (proximate causes such as neural, hormonal, and genetic control), development (ontogeny and learning), function (adaptive value in survival and reproductive success), and evolution (phylogenetic history and divergence among taxa). Research on animal behavior quantifies activities such as foraging, mating systems, parental care, communication, social organization, and antipredator strategies, often integrating experimental, observational, and modeling approaches to understand how behavior emerges from organism–environment interactions and contributes to fitness and ecological dynamics.
Indoor moves prove easier than expected for most cats and owners
Moving a pet cat from an outdoor lifestyle to living indoors is easier than many owners expect, according to new research that could help improve feline welfare, protect wildlife and ease concerns about keeping cats contained.
Ecology
Aug 4, 2026
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115
Humpback whales match song themes to dive phases, tags reveal
For male humpback whales, singing is serious business. Their haunting, complex songs can last for hours and travel for miles underwater, playing a central role in reproduction during the winter breeding season. But despite ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 3, 2026
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28
AI opens new era in cognitive studies of wild primates
Scientists created an AI system that uses facial recognition and real-time touchscreen testing to automate cognitive studies of capuchin monkeys in the wild. The American Journal of Primatology published a proof-of-concept ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 1, 2026
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342
Leave it: Dog trainers help pets avoid poisonous snakes
Ripley, a medium-sized dog with a strong prey drive, curiously approached Brian, a large western diamondback rattlesnake, until she got a quick zap on the neck meant to simulate a venomous viper's bite.
Ecology
Aug 1, 2026
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19
Poochmaxxing: the wellness industry is coming for your pets
I am a runner who loves being active alongside my dogs. Actually, I am more of a plodder—and one with very bad knees. Those knees benefit from regular physiotherapy and sports massage. You might not be surprised, then, to ...
Veterinary medicine
Jul 31, 2026
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Spain safari park animals grazed calmly amid 'terror' of fire
The bison carried on grazing peacefully as the flames approached, imperturbable despite the fires ravaging the land around their wildlife park west of Madrid.
Environment
Jul 31, 2026
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11
Listening to songbird dreams for clues to how sleeping brains learn
Entering and manipulating dreams may sound like science fiction, but for Freeman Hrabowski Scholar Walter Gonzalez, these scenarios aren't confined to the big screen.
Plants & Animals
Jul 30, 2026
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20
Carrion emerges as a key force shaping ecosystems, disease and human evolution
What happens after death? An international study led by the University of Granada (UGR), involving Ana Mateos and Jesús Rodríguez, researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), argues ...
Evolution
Jul 29, 2026
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11
Monkey friendships with dogs, deer and even pigs offer clues to the evolutionary origins of pet-keeping
Why do humans keep pets? A new international study suggests that some of the behavioral foundations of human-animal companionship may have much deeper evolutionary roots than previously thought.
Evolution
Jul 29, 2026
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