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.
Polar bears are intensely curious animals. That curiosity often brings them into contact with people and can put both species at risk from one another.
Plants & Animals
May 1, 2026
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35
Diving is physiologically challenging for marine animals. Long and deep dives can trigger "anaerobic" (oxygen-less) metabolism in organs other than the heart and brain that causes lactic acid to accumulate. Even though diving ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 30, 2026
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Birds sing the most about an hour before dawn, when the air is at its stillest. Theoretically, this enables sounds to travel farther, making song up to 20 times more effective than if sung at midday.
Plants & Animals
Apr 29, 2026
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16
Every day, millions of people watch their pet reptiles run, dig, swim or climb up against the walls of their enclosure. Reptile keepers call this "glass surfing," but among scientists, this conduct is typically considered ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 29, 2026
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16
Dogs have long been known to have smaller brains than the wolves they descended from. But when they started to shrink has been a matter of some debate. New research published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, which ...
An international team of researchers have made the surprising discovery that urban birds—such as great tits, house sparrows and blackbirds—flee sooner when approached by women compared to men. But they don't understand why. ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 28, 2026
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106
Each May, nature lovers get out of bed early to experience the seasonal wonder of birds singing, as the sun rises above the horizon to take part in International Dawn Chorus Day.
Ecology
Apr 28, 2026
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11
A University of Alberta study has whittled down climate-related reasons beavers are emerging earlier onto the ice from their lodges in the spring—a shift that helps them store more winter food but could also lead to more ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 28, 2026
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22
At first glance, the white plastic box with a bright orange floor looks like something for storing children's toys. However, the box isn't used to store Lego bricks; it contains real mice—with the aim of minimizing their ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 27, 2026
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9
A pioneering project led by researchers from the University of Stirling and the Max Planck Institute has opened the door for new insights into the evolutionary origins of human intelligence, by compiling the largest dataset ...
Evolution
Apr 25, 2026
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