ADVERTISEMENT
WITH VIDEO
One chimpanzee has its hand on the ear of another, as it peers onto the back of its neck. A third chimpanzee is in the background.
Chimp Groups Have Their Own Distinct “Handshakes”
A 12-year study shows variation among primate groups in how the animals clasp hands during grooming, but consistency within them, even as group membership shifts over time.
Chimp Groups Have Their Own Distinct “Handshakes”
Chimp Groups Have Their Own Distinct “Handshakes”

A 12-year study shows variation among primate groups in how the animals clasp hands during grooming, but consistency within them, even as group membership shifts over time.

A 12-year study shows variation among primate groups in how the animals clasp hands during grooming, but consistency within them, even as group membership shifts over time.

culture, behavior

Book Excerpt from Pleased to Meet Me
Bill Sullivan | Sep 1, 2019 | 5 min read
In Chapter 6, author Bill Sullivan explains how irrational fears can be passed down through transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.
Can Genetics Explain Human Behavior?
Bill Sullivan | Sep 1, 2019 | 3 min read
The author of a new book about emerging concepts in human genetics considers the question.
How One Wild Dolphin’s Trick Became a Fad
Ashley Yeager | Dec 1, 2018 | 4 min read
After release from rehab, bottlenose Billie started walking on water with her tail. Studying how the behavior spread could offer clues about how animals learn from each other.
When Should Service Dogs Be Admitted into the Lab?
Jef Akst | Nov 1, 2018 | 10+ min read
Becoming a neuroscientist with a service dog by your side presents numerous challenges. Joey Ramp, who went back to college to study her own post-traumatic stress disorder, is learning this the hard way.
The Challenges of Bringing Service Dogs into the Lab
Jef Akst | Sep 18, 2018 | 10+ min read
Joey Ramp went back to college to study post-traumatic stress disorder. But the dogs that help her manage her own PTSD complicate her research career.
Rhythm Arises from Random Beats in a “Telephone” Game
Diana Kwon | Mar 1, 2017 | 2 min read
An experiment in which people pass each other initially nonrhythmic drumming sequences reveals the human affinity for musical patterns.
On the Other Hand
Bob Grant | Sep 1, 2014 | 10+ min read
Handedness, a conspicuous but enigmatic human trait, may be shared by other animals. What does it mean for evolution and brain function?
Sex and Drugs
Kerry Grens | Jul 1, 2014 | 3 min read
Did 20th-century pharmaceutical and technological advances shape modern sexual behaviors?
Capsule Reviews
Bob Grant | Jul 1, 2014 | 4 min read
Sex on Earth, Wild Connection, The Classification of Sex, and XL Love
Curiouser and Curiouser
Kenneth C. Catania | Aug 23, 2012 | 2 min read
A review of the new book Curious Behavior, which delves into the quirks of human conduct.
Capsule Reviews
Annie Gottlieb | Aug 1, 2012 | 3 min read
Gifts of the Crow, What the Robin Knows, The Unfeathered Bird, and America’s Other Audubon
Killing with Kindness
Barbara Oakley, Guruprasad Madhavan, Ariel Knafo, and David Sloan Wilson | Feb 1, 2012 | 3 min read
Studying the evolution of altruistic behaviors reveals how knee-jerk good intentions can backfire.
Book Excerpt from Pathological Altruism
Barbara Oakley, Ariel Knafo, and Michael McGrath | Jan 31, 2012 | 3 min read
In Chapter 1, editors Barbara Oakley, Ariel Knafo, and Michael McGrath introduce the concept of well-intentioned behaviors that go awry.
Behavior Brief
Jef Akst | Jan 4, 2012 | 5 min read
A roundup of recent discoveries in behavior research
Book Excerpt from Sex on Six Legs: Lessons on Life, Love, and Language from the Insect World
Marlene Zuk | Jan 3, 2012 | 4 min read
In Chapter 8, "Pirates at the Picnic," author Marlene Zuk considers the wisdom of describing the behavior of ants in human terms
Anthropomorphism: A Peculiar Institution
Marlene Zuk | Jan 1, 2012 | 3 min read
Should we rethink the parallel drawn between “slave-making” ants and human slavery, and other such oversimplifications of animal behavior?
Citizen Science Goes Marine
Jef Akst | Nov 30, 2011 | 1 min read
A new public science project asks people at home to match whale songs in hopes of better understanding their language.
Q&A: Aging Geniuses
Cristina Luiggi | Nov 8, 2011 | 5 min read
A new study shows that over the past century, the age at which scientists produce their most valuable work is increasing.
Orangutans Have Culture
Bob Grant | Oct 25, 2011 | 1 min read
A study shows that different populations of the Southeast Asian ape display and transmit specific behaviors through generations in a way similar to human cultures.
ADVERTISEMENT