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.
Is a dog's bark simply an expression of emotion, or does it contain specific information that humans cannot understand? Artificial intelligence (AI) can already analyze thousands of animal sounds and identify patterns that ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 22, 2026
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Sulfur-crested cockatoos are surprisingly smart. In Australian cities such as Brisbane and Sydney, they've learned how to turn on drinking fountains by twisting the handle with their feet. In Sydney, they're even able to ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 21, 2026
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Climate change is one of the most complex challenges of our time and places considerable strain on a wide range of animal groups. A research team at the University of Bayreuth has used burying beetles to investigate the extent ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 21, 2026
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Flies, mice and humans move in different ways because of their very different physiques, but their movements follow a common pattern— joints farther from the center of the body move faster than those closer to the body. This ...
Ecology
Sep 21, 2026
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New research led by the University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka shows some bird species may be taking advantage of natural geothermal "health spas."
Ecology
Sep 17, 2026
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In recent years, numerous attempts have been made to use artificial intelligence to decipher the communication of bats, whales, birds and other animals. However, a new study led by a team of researchers from Tel Aviv University ...
Ecology
Sep 16, 2026
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Chimpanzee and bonobo mothers sometimes continue to carry their infants after they have died, a behavior known as infant corpse carrying (ICC). It is widely documented, and many explanations have been proposed, but few have ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 16, 2026
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56
When we tell a dog "no" and it resists temptation, what happens in its brain? New research from the Department of Ethology at ELTE and the HUN-REN Research Centre of Natural Sciences suggests that dogs may do more than respond ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 16, 2026
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Right whales forage near the water's surface at night, putting them at greater risk of potentially fatal collisions with boats, Jay Kirkham at Dalhousie University, Canada, and colleagues report Sept. 16, 2026, in the journal ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 16, 2026
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15
Humpback whale mothers may experience grief when their calves die, a rare research observation led by Griffith University and Sea World Foundation has found.
Plants & Animals
Sep 16, 2026
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