Articles tagged with Ethology
Comprehensive exploration of living organisms, biological systems, and life processes across all scales from molecules to ecosystems. Encompasses cutting-edge research in biology, genetics, molecular biology, ecology, biochemistry, microbiology, botany, zoology, evolutionary biology, genomics, and biotechnology. Investigates cellular mechanisms, organism development, genetic inheritance, biodiversity conservation, metabolic processes, protein synthesis, DNA sequencing, CRISPR gene editing, stem cell research, and the fundamental principles governing all forms of life on Earth.
Comprehensive medical research, clinical studies, and healthcare sciences focused on disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Encompasses clinical medicine, public health, pharmacology, epidemiology, medical specialties, disease mechanisms, therapeutic interventions, healthcare innovation, precision medicine, telemedicine, medical devices, drug development, clinical trials, patient care, mental health, nutrition science, health policy, and the application of medical science to improve human health, wellbeing, and quality of life across diverse populations.
Comprehensive investigation of human society, behavior, relationships, and social structures through systematic research and analysis. Encompasses psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, linguistics, education, demography, communications, and social research methodologies. Examines human cognition, social interactions, cultural phenomena, economic systems, political institutions, language and communication, educational processes, population dynamics, and the complex social, cultural, economic, and political forces shaping human societies, communities, and civilizations throughout history and across the contemporary world.
Fundamental study of the non-living natural world, matter, energy, and physical phenomena governing the universe. Encompasses physics, chemistry, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, materials science, and the investigation of physical laws, chemical reactions, geological processes, climate systems, and planetary dynamics. Explores everything from subatomic particles and quantum mechanics to planetary systems and cosmic phenomena, including energy transformations, molecular interactions, elemental properties, weather patterns, tectonic activity, and the fundamental forces and principles underlying the physical nature of reality.
Practical application of scientific knowledge and engineering principles to solve real-world problems and develop innovative technologies. Encompasses all engineering disciplines, technology development, computer science, artificial intelligence, environmental sciences, agriculture, materials applications, energy systems, and industrial innovation. Bridges theoretical research with tangible solutions for infrastructure, manufacturing, computing, communications, transportation, construction, sustainable development, and emerging technologies that advance human capabilities, improve quality of life, and address societal challenges through scientific innovation and technological progress.
Study of the practice, culture, infrastructure, and social dimensions of science itself. Addresses how science is conducted, organized, communicated, and integrated into society. Encompasses research funding mechanisms, scientific publishing systems, peer review processes, academic ethics, science policy, research institutions, scientific collaboration networks, science education, career development, research programs, scientific methods, science communication, and the sociology of scientific discovery. Examines the human, institutional, and cultural aspects of scientific enterprise, knowledge production, and the translation of research into societal benefit.
Comprehensive study of the universe beyond Earth, encompassing celestial objects, cosmic phenomena, and space exploration. Includes astronomy, astrophysics, planetary science, cosmology, space physics, astrobiology, and space technology. Investigates stars, galaxies, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, black holes, nebulae, exoplanets, dark matter, dark energy, cosmic microwave background, stellar evolution, planetary formation, space weather, solar system dynamics, the search for extraterrestrial life, and humanity's efforts to explore, understand, and unlock the mysteries of the cosmos through observation, theory, and space missions.
Comprehensive examination of tools, techniques, methodologies, and approaches used across scientific disciplines to conduct research, collect data, and analyze results. Encompasses experimental procedures, analytical methods, measurement techniques, instrumentation, imaging technologies, spectroscopic methods, laboratory protocols, observational studies, statistical analysis, computational methods, data visualization, quality control, and methodological innovations. Addresses the practical techniques and theoretical frameworks enabling scientists to investigate phenomena, test hypotheses, gather evidence, ensure reproducibility, and generate reliable knowledge through systematic, rigorous investigation across all areas of scientific inquiry.
Study of abstract structures, patterns, quantities, relationships, and logical reasoning through pure and applied mathematical disciplines. Encompasses algebra, calculus, geometry, topology, number theory, analysis, discrete mathematics, mathematical logic, set theory, probability, statistics, and computational mathematics. Investigates mathematical structures, theorems, proofs, algorithms, functions, equations, and the rigorous logical frameworks underlying quantitative reasoning. Provides the foundational language and tools for all scientific fields, enabling precise description of natural phenomena, modeling of complex systems, and the development of technologies across physics, engineering, computer science, economics, and all quantitative sciences.
Research by Marco Del Giudice reveals parasites manipulate host behavior to increase transmission chances and alter neural functioning. Hosts evolve countermeasures to evade manipulation, but these adaptations may also create new vulnerabilities.
Researchers at Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown discover a new psychophysical rule, Time-Intensity Equivalence in Discrimination (TIED), which links decision times to sound intensity. TIED is more stringent than Weber's Law, describing behavior with mathematical precision.
A new study by Western University demonstrates that fear of predators can leave long-lasting traces in the neural circuitry of wild animals and induce enduringly fearful behaviour. The findings support the notion that PTSD is not unnatural and have important implications for biomedical researchers, mental health clinicians, and ecologi...
Researchers capture first evidence of leopard seals sharing food, challenging their solitary reputation. The footage reveals two seals feeding on the same penguin carcass, raising questions about true cooperation vs. tolerance.
Researchers propose three concepts from complex systems science to study animal social complexity: scales of organization, compression, and emergence. These concepts may help researchers better understand the level of complexity in animal societies across different scales.
A Brazilian study found that cannabidiol attenuates social isolation-induced aggression in mice by facilitating the activation of serotonin and CB1 receptors. The researchers used a resident-intruder test model to demonstrate that lower doses of cannabidiol inhibit aggressive behavior, while higher doses have little effect.
Researchers discovered signs of 'feasting behavior' associated with white-tailed deer at the Sitio Sierra archaeological site. The findings suggest that deer hunting was restricted and consumption linked to important occasions, reinforcing social relations among Panamanian pre-Columbian populations.
Researchers developed a new optogenetic technique to control brain activity in mice, recreating natural perception and guiding behavior. The method revealed new insights into neuronal dynamics and the neurobiology of mammalian behavior.
A Stanford University School of Medicine neuroscientist successfully stimulated nerve cells in mice visual cortex, inducing an illusory image and altering the animals' behavior. This breakthrough holds implications for understanding natural brain processing and psychiatric disorders.
Researchers found that brain activity patterns encode prior beliefs, which bias behavioral responses towards the middle of expected time intervals. This warping effect provides insight into how experience alters synaptic connections and embeds knowledge.
Researchers at Utah State University found that cyclists align in patterns within a plus-or-minus 30-degree arc corresponding to the human near-peripheral visual field. This helps them safely react to changes or disturbances from neighboring riders, leading to lower individual rider energy expenditures.
Researchers at Columbia University have successfully controlled a visual behavior in mice by activating specific groups of neurons in their visual cortex. The study used high-resolution optogenetics and two-photon calcium imaging to identify and target individual neurons, demonstrating the causal role of neuronal ensembles in behavior.
Researchers found that social isolation triggers aggression in spiders after they disperse, reversing their initial social behavior. This discovery challenges the long-held assumption that aggression is a precursor to dispersal in spiderlings.
Researchers model how octopus arms make decisions, finding a bottom-up decision mechanism that coordinates actions without brain input. The study sheds light on the diversity of cognition in the world and the universe.
Researchers found that Egyptian fruit bats and mice exhibit synchronized neural activity in social situations, predicting behaviors such as initiating interactions or responding to dominance hierarchies. This discovery sheds light on the neural mechanisms underlying animal social behavior and may provide insights into mental diseases l...
Research found that brain activity in pairs of mice synchronizes during social behavior, with individual cells responding to self and social partner behaviors. The level of synchronization predicted the amount of interaction between the animals.
Researchers used computer simulations to study Ediacaran organisms' feeding habits, showing they engaged in complex suspension feeding and oriented themselves to amplify nutrient-rich currents. This work helps place Ediacarans on the tree of life alongside modern sea creatures, providing new insights into their evolution.
A study by the University of Bristol found that dog owners' perceptions of effectiveness and confidence in using behaviour modification techniques are crucial in predicting their adoption of positive reinforcement-based solutions. Positive reinforcement-based techniques are humane and effective, while punishment-based methods can exace...
Researchers found that male broad-horned flour beetles selectively bred for shorter loser effects still didn't improve their fighting prowess. The study suggests a disconnect between the duration of the loser effect and actual fighting ability, with animals using past experience to decide whether to engage in behavior.
A CNRS and University of La Rochelle research team studied the impact of a fishing operation on orca populations. The study found that orcas who lost family members due to the fishing operation adopted erratic social behavior, leading to reduced access to food and ultimately higher mortality rates.
The study reveals seven distinct patterns of muscle activity and demonstrates that individual muscle cells can participate in multiple patterns with different kinetics. This coordination of many cells working together enables the creation of complex behaviors not present in single cells.
Researchers discovered a brain circuit that helps break decisions down into smaller pieces, allowing for more confident reasoning about probable causes of failure. The circuit enables individuals to navigate hierarchical decisions and adjust their approach based on confidence levels.
Researchers developed flying robots inspired by hummingbirds, trained with machine learning algorithms to mimic natural bird behavior. The robots can fly silently, maneuver through cluttered spaces, and even teach themselves new skills without human intervention.
A study found that transplanting gut bacteria from vulnerable rats to non-stressed rats altered depressive-type behaviors, while also causing brain inflammation. The researchers believe this may lead to probiotic treatments for human psychiatric disorders like depression.
Researchers found that Zebra Finches preferentially visit nests with large broods, based on chick calls, and not visual cues. This study provides the first evidence that wild birds can use calls from chicks as a social signal to infer breeding success.
A study found that individuals residing near protected areas in France exhibit higher levels of pro-environmental behavior, including increased support for environmental associations and participation in citizen science programs. The research attributes this trend to the inspirational impact of wilder landscapes on nature awareness.
A model by theoretical biologists demonstrates how superstitious beliefs can become established in a society's social norms, guiding the behavior of large groups. The research suggests that even irrational beliefs can be beneficial when correlated with others' actions, leading to coordinated behaviors.
A fossilized beetle, Promyrmister kistneri, found to be the oldest-known example of an animal in a behaviorally symbiotic relationship with ants. The beetle's extreme adaptations allow it to infiltrate ant colonies, suggesting that freeloaders can persist over vast expanses of evolutionary time.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh found that a beetle's diet during sexual development affects its adult breeding habits. Females prefer to mate with well-fed males to optimize offspring health.
A new study found that leaders in groups of animals are more vulnerable to attack from predators due to their riskier position within the group. Researchers used virtual prey in aquarium tanks and found leaders were more likely to be attacked than followers, with isolated individuals also being at higher risk.
A machine learning model can reproduce the swarming behavior of locusts by integrating methods from philosophical action theory and quantum optics. The 'Projective Simulation' learning model was successfully applied to a locust's specific swarming behavior, demonstrating its potential for realistic application to biological systems.
Researchers observed mountain gorillas gathering around the bodies of deceased group members, spending time in contact with their corpses, and even grooming them. These behaviors were surprisingly similar across different gorilla groups and suggest a complex understanding of death among these animals.
Researchers developed a behavior recognition model using biomechanical principles to accurately determine an animal's activity, such as resting or searching for food. The model uses wearable accelerometer signals to provide detailed information about specific behaviors, which can inform conservation efforts.
Researchers developed a new 'multi-z' confocal microscopy system for imaging large groups of cells, enabling fast and detailed imaging across a wide field of view. The instrument captured cellular details at high speeds over a large 3D volume, providing unprecedented insights into how neurons interact during various behaviors.
New research by McMaster behavioural scientists reveals evolution can work backwards to benefit related members of the same group. Selfless traits like sharing food and keeping watch are mathematically equivalent to decreased evolution of individually beneficial traits.
A recent study by Vetmeduni Vienna reveals that wolves and dogs cooperate intensively with humans but differ in their approach. Wolves show more initiative, leading the interaction, while dogs follow human behaviour. The study proposes that dogs' submissive tendencies are a result of domestication, which helped minimize conflicts.
Female spotted hyenas can increase their dominance rank by forming alliances with other females, ultimately improving their lifetime reproductive success. The offspring of these individuals inherit their mother's acquired rank, leading to a decline in individual rank within clans over time.
Researchers developed 'Autonomouse' system, allowing for up to 18 months of minimally disturbed mouse behavioral research. The 'smart house' combines animal welfare and efficient research findings, published in PLOS ONE.
A new study on African chimpanzee communities reveals human impact significantly reduces behavioral diversity, with communities near human habitats experiencing 88% lower occurrence of specific behaviors.
A deficiency in the SHANK3 protein, which regulates synaptic communication between brain cells, is associated with various neurological conditions. Researchers have identified kinases that can regulate SHANK3 stability, offering hope for developing treatments by increasing its abundance.
Princeton University researchers Olivia Chu and Corina Tarnita investigate how cooperation emerges in human populations, finding that smaller groups allow cooperation to thrive while limiting destructive influence. They also find that allowing for lone individuals with barriers to group entry enhances cooperation.
Dogs' personalities change over time due to various factors, including age and environmental influences. Research found that older dogs are harder to train, while younger ones exhibit more excitable behavior. Owners with positive personality traits report more responsive dogs.
Zebras evolved striped coats to evade tabanid horse flies, which carry debilitating diseases. The study found that stripes don't deter flies at a distance, but disrupt their approach, making it harder for them to land and feed on zebras.
A new welfare tool has been developed to track the wellbeing of elephants in human care, using their behaviour and demeanour. The tool is being used by UK zoos and safari parks to assess the impact of changes in animal husbandry and develop facilities that enhance elephant welfare.
Scientists parse animal behavior into digestible chunks using an adaptive model, spotting subtleties that would have otherwise been missed. The study found that complex dynamics can be broken down into simple linear patterns, allowing for the quantification of brain states and movement behaviors in various organisms.
Research at the University of Göttingen found that mice growing up in stimulating environments transmit increased brain plasticity to their offspring, even if the young mice were raised in less enriching conditions. This transgenerational transmission affects primary sensory areas of the cerebral cortex.
In a new study, researchers found that male livebearer fish evolved larger dorsal fins for fighting before using them in courtship displays to attract females. This evolution went hand-in-hand with the enlargement of the male dorsal fin, leading to rapid evolution in some species.
Researchers developed a new method to identify significant ties in social networks, controlling for individual activity levels. This approach accurately mimics real-life school class clusters and has applications in various complex networks, including interbank markets and face-to-face interactions.
A new study reveals that astrocytes can lead the tempo of the body's internal clock and control daily behavior patterns in mammals. The discovery could pave the way for new treatments to manage circadian rhythm disruptions related to health conditions like jet lag, sleep disorders, and dementia.
Researchers investigate the impact of skill levels on animal contests, focusing on hermit crab behavior. They aim to understand factors that influence fighting skill and its relationship with aggression, which can have implications for sports science and human training.
Large human crowds behave like fluid-like systems, where movement can be mathematically predicted using hydrodynamic theory. The study's findings suggest this approach could provide quantitative guidance in crowd management and lay the foundation for an empirically grounded theory of group behavior.
Researchers used augmented reality to investigate the link between active sensing movement and sensory feedback in weakly electric fish. The study found that subtle active sensing movements are controlled by sensory feedback, enhancing sensory information reception. This discovery may have implications for neuroscience and robotics.
Researchers developed LEAP, a neural network-based system that tracks individual body parts in video footage, enabling the study of animal behavior and neural processes. The tool has great potential outside of neuroscience, automating labor-intensive analysis to study diverse animal locomotor behaviors.
A study discovered that a microRNA cluster regulates synaptic strength and is involved in controlling social behavior in mammals. The researchers found that the absence of this microRNA cluster results in increased sociability in mice.
Researchers have revealed the brain mechanism behind the uncontrollable itch-scratching cycle. A small subset of neurons in the periaqueductal gray region tracks itch-evoked scratching behavior. The study provides a starting point to decipher how itch is processed and modulated in the brain.
A recent study by Katherine Stavropoulos, an assistant professor at the University of California - Riverside, has confirmed a neural basis for cute aggression. The research found that the brain's reward system and emotion system are involved in the phenomenon, with participants experiencing higher levels of cute aggression towards cute...
A Champalimaud Centre researcher will explore how social environment and spatial factors influence an insect's defensive strategy, shedding light on brain mechanisms that underlie behaviour. The grant will fund novel experiments using fruit fly models.
A study published in PLOS ONE found that Indian peafowl crests efficiently sense motion and vibration at frequencies similar to those used during social displays. The research suggests that sensory stimulation of the crest feathers may complement visual and auditory perception of these displays.
Researchers have found that great apes and ravens develop planning capacities through associative learning, rather than human-like mental simulations. The new model shows how animals can learn to make decisions that lack immediate benefits but lead to meaningful outcomes in the future.
Researchers create compact system for fluorescence imaging at the tip of a fibre, enabling high-resolution images of brain cells and neuronal processes in deep brain areas. This breakthrough technology offers a minimally invasive approach to study sensory perception, memory formation, and severe neuronal diseases like Alzheimer's.