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.
How is an animal feeling at a given moment? Humans have long recognized certain well-known behavior like a cat hissing as a warning, but in many cases we've had little clue of what's going on inside an animal's head.
Biotechnology
Aug 25, 2025
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In 2009, researcher Colleen Cassady St. Clair noticed that coyote sightings in urban neighborhoods were being reported more often. She was also seeing the animals in areas where they hadn't dared to venture before. St. Clair ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 25, 2025
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In the natural world, animals rely on perceiving a range of signals to survive—and for insects, olfactory cues are particularly critical. These scents guide them to vital resources like mates, food, and egg-laying sites, ...
Ecology
Aug 22, 2025
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In a surprising discovery, a new study reveals that among seven species of baleen whales, only the humpback is capable of the high-performance turns required for its signature bubble-net feeding strategy. The research, led ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 19, 2025
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A new study led by the Konrad Lorenz Research Center for Behavior and Cognition at the University of Vienna sheds light on a long-standing mystery in animal behavior: Why do certain individuals gain more influence than others ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 18, 2025
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As anyone who has tried to hold a conversation in a noisy room knows, it is sometimes easier to rely on hand gestures than to shout over the din. White-throated dippers face a similar challenge along the fast-flowing streams ...
Evolution
Aug 18, 2025
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Behavioral flexibility, the ability to adapt one's behavior to changing circumstances based on previous experience, is thought to play an important role in a species' ability to successfully adapt to new environments and ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 18, 2025
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Scientists have uncovered a hidden pattern in birdsong that mirrors a core rule of human language. The new study, led by researchers at The University of Manchester, in collaboration with Chester Zoo, found that birds appear ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 14, 2025
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Animals may not have musical instruments, but the way that some species form complex patterns of vocal sequences is remarkable. A recent study has found that Antarctic leopard seal mating call sequences seem to be similar ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 13, 2025
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Birds of feather don't always flock together, despite the adage. A study published in the Journal of Raptor Research tells the story of Arizonan bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) engaging in intriguing migrations by ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 12, 2025
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