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{{CompPsy}}
  
{{CompPsy}}
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'''Ethology''' is the scientific study of animal [[behavior]]. A scientist who practices ethology is called an '''ethologist'''.
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*[[Introduction to animal ethology]]
  
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{{TOCright}}
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== Differences and similarities with comparative psychology ==
   
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Ethology can be contrasted with [[comparative psychology]], which also studies animal behaviour, but construes its study as a branch of [[psychology]]. Thus where comparative psychology sees the study of animal behaviour in the context of what is known about human psychology, ethology sees the study of animal behaviour in the context of what is known about animal [[anatomy]] and [[physiology]]. Furthermore, early comparative psychologists concentrated on the study of [[learning]], and thus tended to look at behaviour in artificial situations, whereas early ethologists concentrated on behaviour in natural situations, tending to describe it as instinctive. The two approaches are complementary rather than competitive, but they do lead to different perspectives and sometimes to conflicts of opinion about matters of substance. In addition, for most of the twentieth century comparative psychology developed most strongly in North America, while ethology was stronger in Europe, and this led to different emphases as well as somewhat different philosophical underpinnings in the two disciplines. A practical difference is that comparative psychologists concentrated on gaining extensive knowledge of the behaviour of very few species, while ethologists were more interested in gaining knowledge of behaviour in a wide range of species, not least in order to be able to make principled comparisons across taxonomic groups.
   
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For more see: [[Introduction to animal ethology]]
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==Main areas of study==
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The main areas of study within the discipline include:
 
*[[Animal innate behavior]]
  
*[[Animal innate behavior]]
 
**[[Animal defensive behavior]]
  
**[[Animal defensive behavior]]
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**[[Animal predatory behavior]]
  
**[[Animal predatory behavior]]
 
**[[Animal scent marking]]
  
**[[Animal scent marking]]
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**[[Migratory behavior (animal)]]
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*[[Animal open field behavior]]
  
*[[Animal open field behavior]]
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**[[Alarm responses]]
  ⚫
**[[Animal breeding]]
  ⚫
**[[Animal foraging behavior]]
 
**[[Animal homing]]
  
**[[Animal homing]]
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**[[Animal locomotion]]
 
**[[Animal navigation]]
  
**[[Animal navigation]]
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**[[Animal foraging behavior]]
  
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**[[Animal locomotion]]
  
 
**[[Migratory behaviour (animal)]]
  
**[[Migratory behaviour (animal)]]
   
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*[[Animal physiology]]
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*[[Animal physiological psychology]]
 
**[[Animal biological rhythms]]
  
**[[Animal biological rhythms]]
 
**[[Animal circadian rythms]]
  
**[[Animal circadian rythms]]
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**[[Animal emotionality]]
  
**[[Animal emotionality]]
 
**[[Animal feeding behavior]]
  
**[[Animal feeding behavior]]
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*[[Animal sexual behavior]]
  
*[[Animal sexual behavior]]
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**[[Animal mating behavior]]
  
**[[Animal mating behavior]]
 
**[[Animal mate selection]]
  
**[[Animal mate selection]]
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*[[Animal rearing]]
  
*[[Animal rearing]]
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**[[Animal human interaction]]
  
**[[Animal human interaction]]
 
**[[Animal rearing]]
  
**[[Animal rearing]]
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**[[Pets]]
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**[[Interspecies interaction]]
 
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==See also==
  
==See also==
 
*[[Alarm responses]]
  
*[[Alarm responses]]
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*[[Animal environments]]
 
*[[Animal motivation]]
  
*[[Animal motivation]]
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*[[Biological symbiosis]]
 
*[[Echolocation]]
  
*[[Echolocation]]
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*[[Fossil behavior]]
 
*[[Hibernation]]
  
*[[Hibernation]]
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*[[Instinctive behavior]]
 
*[[Imprinting]]
  
*[[Imprinting]]
 
*[[Licking]]
  
*[[Licking]]
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*[[Species common behaviors]]
 
*[[Stereotyped behavior]]
  
*[[Stereotyped behavior]]
 
*[[Tool use]]
  
*[[Tool use]]
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==Key texts==
 
==Key texts==
 
===Books===
  
===Books===
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*Bekoff, M (2004) Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior. 3vols. Greenwood Press.
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McFarland, D.(19999). Animal Behaviour: Psychobiology, Ethology and Evolution.Longman. ISBN: 0582327326 ISBN: 9780582327320
  
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*Grzimek, B.(1977), Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Ethology
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*McFarland, D.(1999). Animal Behaviour: Psychobiology, Ethology and Evolution. Longman. ISBN: 0582327326 ISBN: 9780582327320
   
 
===Papers===
  
===Papers===
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==External links==
  
==External links==
 
*[CSA Animal Behavior Abstracts] - A Cambridge Scientific Abstracts Database covering all aspects of animal behaviour, including neurophysiology, behavioral ecology, genetics, applied ethology and other related areas.From !982 onwards
  
*[CSA Animal Behavior Abstracts] - A Cambridge Scientific Abstracts Database covering all aspects of animal behaviour, including neurophysiology, behavioral ecology, genetics, applied ethology and other related areas.From !982 onwards
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*[http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Animal_Behavior Wikibook on animal behavior]
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Latest revision as of 10:03, 3 October 2013

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Ethology is the scientific study of animal behavior. A scientist who practices ethology is called an ethologist.

Differences and similarities with comparative psychology

Ethology can be contrasted with comparative psychology, which also studies animal behaviour, but construes its study as a branch of psychology. Thus where comparative psychology sees the study of animal behaviour in the context of what is known about human psychology, ethology sees the study of animal behaviour in the context of what is known about animal anatomy and physiology. Furthermore, early comparative psychologists concentrated on the study of learning, and thus tended to look at behaviour in artificial situations, whereas early ethologists concentrated on behaviour in natural situations, tending to describe it as instinctive. The two approaches are complementary rather than competitive, but they do lead to different perspectives and sometimes to conflicts of opinion about matters of substance. In addition, for most of the twentieth century comparative psychology developed most strongly in North America, while ethology was stronger in Europe, and this led to different emphases as well as somewhat different philosophical underpinnings in the two disciplines. A practical difference is that comparative psychologists concentrated on gaining extensive knowledge of the behaviour of very few species, while ethologists were more interested in gaining knowledge of behaviour in a wide range of species, not least in order to be able to make principled comparisons across taxonomic groups.

For more see: Introduction to animal ethology

Main areas of study

The main areas of study within the discipline include:

See also

References & Bibliography

Key texts

Books

  • Bekoff, M (2004) Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior. 3vols. Greenwood Press.
  • Grzimek, B.(1977), Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Ethology
  • McFarland, D.(1999). Animal Behaviour: Psychobiology, Ethology and Evolution. Longman. ISBN: 0582327326 ISBN: 9780582327320

Papers

Additional material

Books

  • Drickamer, L. & Dewsbury, D. ( ), Leaders in Animal Behaviour. The Second Generation. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 9780521741293
  • Dewsbury, D. A. (1978) Habits and behaviour of Animals : McGraw-Hill,New York ; London. ISBN: 0070166730

Papers

External links

  • [CSA Animal Behavior Abstracts] - A Cambridge Scientific Abstracts Database covering all aspects of animal behaviour, including neurophysiology, behavioral ecology, genetics, applied ethology and other related areas.From !982 onwards
  • Wikibook on animal behavior
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