animal behavior

The Scientist spoke to hyena researcher Eve Davidian for a broad look at power relationships between male and female mammals.

Two glands increase steroid production after female California two-spot octopuses mate, a study finds. Those hormones may be responsible for the animals’ self-destructive behavior.

A study in mice finds that for certain genes, one parent’s allele can dominate expression and shape behavior—and which parent’s allele does so varies throughout the body.

These social animals keep tabs on aggressive members of the group and groom them less after fights to punish them.

Mongolian rodents join the ranks of earthworms and beavers as known ecosystem engineers.

Selected images from the-scientist.com

It was the first time a bird has removed a tracking device, and the second time a bird species showed cooperative “rescue” behavior.

The practice, which hasn’t been previously observed among nonhuman animals, may be a display of empathy. 

Signals from sweeteners and sugars are relayed from the gut to the brain by different neural pathways, a new study concludes.

This University of California, Santa Cruz, biologist is dedicated to her marine mammal research, as well as to making the field more diverse and equitable.

Avoidance of predation is a driving force behind the daily movements of marine creatures across the food web, a study concludes.

When observed under a microscope, guard hairs from mice resemble optical sensors used in thermal cameras to detect heat, according to a new study.

A study finds that the odorless compound hexadecanal, or HEX, increases aggressive behavior in women but has a calming effect on men.

The Scientist speaks with organismal biologist Xavier Glaudas about possible reasons for his recent finding that male Montpellier snakes cannibalize female conspecifics.

Across the tree of life, animals use sound and other vibrations to glean valuable sensory information about their environments even before they are born.

In Chapter 1, “On Being,” author Antonio Damasio outlines the dawn of consciousness.

The idea that minds and consciousness might be generated by the nervous system alone is false.

Recent findings buck the traditional idea that embryos are passive agents and instead suggest that by tuning into vibrations, organisms can better prepare to enter the outside world.

A study of feeding behavior suggests the fish feed differently in front of their partners—a behavioral feature also found in primates.