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.
In two newly published studies, researchers at the Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary) investigated how family dogs' ADHD-like traits relate to their learning and self-control. Dogs resemble humans ...
Veterinary medicine
Nov 19, 2025
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A new paper by University of Rhode Island post-doctoral researchers Emily Sperou and Renato Borras-Chavez published in the journal Polar Biology discusses a unique phenomenon observed in a reclusive Antarctic animal: postmortem ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 18, 2025
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As the days continue to get shorter, scientists have made a significant discovery in understanding exactly what makes mammals exhibit seasonal behaviors like hibernation and migration.
Plants & Animals
Nov 17, 2025
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Gut microbes are essential partners that help digest food, produce vitamins and train the immune system. They can also pass on behavioral traits to their host's offspring, at least in mice. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute ...
When you think of birds imitating sounds, parrots and starlings might come to mind. They're famous for copying human speech, car alarms, and even ringtone melodies. But what happens when you challenge them with something ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 6, 2025
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54
Water anoles are remarkable creatures. Perched along the banks of steep waterfalls in the forests of Panama and Costa Rica, they're often seen bending and peering down at rushing streams below as if daring themselves to jump. ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 4, 2025
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15
It is hard to be attentive to all the information that is around us; we need to focus on particular signals or sensory channels to get more details. This is why alerting signals are frequently used in human communication; ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 3, 2025
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20
Biologists often form deep bonds with the species they study. For some, that relationship begins early in their careers and shapes decades of research. The connection can be personal, even affectionate, but it can also create ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 30, 2025
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A study of nine species of large mammals in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has revealed that their behavioral responses to summer heat were influenced more by the structure of their environments than by their biological ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 29, 2025
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17
The hunt is on and a predator finally zeroes in on its prey. The animal consumes the nutritious meal and moves on to forage for its next target. But how much prey does a predator need to consume?
Plants & Animals
Oct 28, 2025
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