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.
Imagine enjoying a tasty dinner alone at home—you may freely indulge without worrying about others. Now imagine sharing the same meal with friends or colleagues: depending on the social context, you may find yourself eating ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 3, 2026
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For generations, farmers have spent backbreaking hours tearing down and rebuilding fences just to move livestock to fresh grazing fields. Now, thanks to a groundbreaking project at the University of Missouri's Center for ...
Biotechnology
Feb 3, 2026
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Some dogs are seemingly more talented than others. So-called gifted word learners (GWL) are rare canines that can rapidly learn the names of toys, a skill that most dogs don't possess. To understand why this is so, researchers ...
Researchers at University of Tsukuba have identified a photophobic response (light avoidance) in the unicellular apusomonad Podomonas kaiyoae. The study provides critical insight into the evolution of complex flagellar and ...
Evolution
Feb 2, 2026
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A perspective in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface argues that advances in AI, sensing technologies and modeling are transforming the study of collective animal behavior, with implications reaching far beyond biology, ...
Ecology
Feb 1, 2026
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The life of one of the most remote grizzly bear populations in the world is being documented by the animals themselves, with collar cameras that provide a rare glimpse of how they survive on Alaska's rugged and desolate North ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 1, 2026
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When I see a great white shark, I am in awe of the enigmatic, powerful apex predator. My life has been dedicated to trying to know everything about sharks and immersing myself in their world. Most people when they see "shark ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 1, 2026
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An upside-down jellyfish drifts in a shallow lagoon, rhythmically contracting its translucent bell. By night that beat drops from roughly 36 pulses a minute to nearer 30, and the animal slips into a state that, despite its ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 31, 2026
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As the sun rises over the Kalahari Desert, meerkat groups emerge from their burrows and gather closely, turning their bodies toward the warmth of the early light. These quiet morning moments are more than a way to warm up; ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 30, 2026
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Scientists on a research vessel off the central California coast spotted a waved albatross, marking just the second recorded sighting of the bird north of Central America.
Plants & Animals
Jan 30, 2026
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