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.
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
Bumblebees are able to learn to associate new odors with their colony's queen, instead of being preprogrammed to recognize the queen's pheromones from birth, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State. For ...
Ecology
Aug 12, 2026
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7
Platypuses rescued during a severe drought quickly returned to their old routines after being released back into the wild, suggesting emergency rescues can help protect vulnerable populations.
Plants & Animals
Aug 11, 2026
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30
From spears and the invention of the wheel to smartphones and robots, human societies have been building and using tools from the beginning. Human tool use has helped conquer new environments, increase communication and ultimately ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 11, 2026
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19
Meat is a rare and highly prized resource for wild Guinea baboons (Papio papio). Yet, contrary to long-standing assumptions based on human hunter–gatherer societies, a new study by the German Primate Center—Leibniz-Institute ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 10, 2026
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12
How have selectively breeding dogs across decades and individual training shaped the way that dogs communicate? New from JNeurosci, researchers at Harvard University, led by Mélina Cordeau, sought to answer this question ...
Veterinary medicine
Aug 10, 2026
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20
Around 15 years ago, I created a Facebook page for my cat, Sandi. Friends thought it was weird. Today, social media accounts for cats attract millions of followers, cats travel in backpacks and strollers, and surveys consistently ...
Evolution
Aug 6, 2026
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29
Ants make up one of the most diverse groups of animals on the planet, with many species boasting remarkable physical abilities and social behaviors, and an overall species richness that far exceeds that of mammals. Various ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 6, 2026
0
10
A new Australian study has found that feeding zoo-housed lions whole-animal carcasses on a feast-and-fast schedule encourages behaviors more closely aligned with those seen in the wild.
Plants & Animals
Aug 6, 2026
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1162
Songbirds, birds belonging to the Passeriformes order, are best known for their ability to produce complex musical sounds. Yet some songbird species also have another remarkable skill: They can easily remove the tough layer ...
