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.
New research suggests that no matter what we eventually determine the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees to be, we'll learn it was a primate that climbed trees.
Evolution
Aug 17, 2026
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251
When people think about climate change and animals, they might picture melting sea ice, drought-stricken landscapes or species struggling in the wild. Far less attention is given to the animals living in our care. Yet as ...
Ecology
Aug 17, 2026
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10
Bees may be relying on your lawn for their next meal, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.
Plants & Animals
Aug 17, 2026
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14
For many people, a trip to the zoo is a chance to watch playful otters dart through the water and chatter with one another. But while we may worry that crowds could stress the otter community, a new Australian study shows ...
Ecology
Aug 17, 2026
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178
Florida State University researchers studying male green sea turtles off the coast of Brazil have discovered two distinct migration strategies, with some turtles traveling up to 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) after breeding ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 17, 2026
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34
Four more belugas have arrived at a Chicago aquarium as part of a plan to move Canada's last remaining captive whales from a shuttered theme park to aquariums in the United States and Spain.
Ecology
Aug 15, 2026
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75
Being an elite athlete—at least for a mouse—does not shorten lifespan or limit how many children one can have. This is the finding of a study 30 years in the making, and it runs counter to accepted evolutionary theory.
Ecology
Aug 13, 2026
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14
Much like an indecisive single person on a dating app, female treefrogs struggle to pick the most desirable mates when they have too many options to choose from. According to a new study published Aug. 12 in the journal iScience, ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 12, 2026
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19
In a rare study of snakes as nest predators, scientists found nesting birds were loath to strike rattlesnakes even though they likely had no previous experience with vipers.
Plants & Animals
Aug 12, 2026
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496
According to new research, viewers often dismiss, trivialize or even romanticize signs of cat distress during "play" interactions, raising concerns for cat welfare.
Plants & Animals
Aug 12, 2026
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44
