From ethology to sexual selection:trends in animal behavior research
Terry J. Ord, Emília P. Martins Department of Biology, Indiana University
Sidharth Thakur Computer Science Department, Indiana University
Ketan K. Mane, Katy Börner School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University
Niko Tinbergen1907-1988
Karl von Frisch1886-1982
Konrad Lorenz1903-1989
Animal behavior – then & now
Animal behavior – then & now
mechanism/development
evolutionary theory/population biology
*1975
Animal behavior – then & now
• Peter Klopfer (2002 - ABS newsletter)– 7 journals, 1st 50 papers 1950 vs 2000
– little change
• John Alcock (2003 – ABS 50th anniversary)– animal behavior in texts
– < 1975 = proximate, >1975 = ultimate
Animal behavior – then & now
1. Major trends over 30 yrs – research focus: 1972-1977 vs. 1996-2001
2. Journal coverage– 1996-2001
– who publishes what?
Obtaining the data
• Relevant journals– Animal Behavior Abstracts (Camb. Sc. Abst.)
– 228 journals = animal behavior
• Biological Abstracts (BIOSIS)– 219 journals, 414,739 papers, 1968-mid2002
Refining the data
• Animal Behavior Abstracts – CORE journals = all animal behavior
– PRIORITY journals = <50% animal behavior
– SELECTIVE journals = >50% animal behavior
Refining the data
• Animal Behavior Abstracts – CORE journals = all animal behavior
– PRIORITY journals = <50% animal behavior
– SELECTIVE journals = >50% animal behavior
14 journals, 15,282 papersAnim. Behav.Anim. Learn. Behav.Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.BehaviourBehav. Ecol.Behav. Ecol. Socio.Behav. Processes
Bird Behav.Birds N. Am.EthologyJ. Ethol.J. Exp. Psychol.: Anim. Behav. ProcessesJ. Insect Behav.Learn. Motiv.
0
350
700
1050
1400
1968 1979 1990 2001
Docu
ment
count
CORE journals
0
350
700
1050
1400
1968 1979 1990 2001
Docu
ment
count
1972-1977 1996-2001
30 yrsCORE journals
Does sociality drive the evolution of communicative complexity? A
comparative test with ground-
dwelling sciurid alarm calls
Estimating ancestral states of a communicative display:
A comparative study of Cyclura rock iguanas.
Variation in chick-a-dee calls of a Carolina chickadee population, Poecile carolinensis: identity and
redundancy within note types
Communicative culturesin cetaceans: big questions are unanswered, functional
analyses are needed
The maternal feeding display of domestic hens is sensitive to
perceived chick error
Responses of foraging
hedgehogs to badger odour
Early handling increases lamb
affinity for humans
Latent semantic analysis
Does sociality drive the evolution of COMMUNICATIVE complexity? A
COMPARATIVE test with ground-
dwelling sciurid alarm CALLs
Estimating ancestral states of a COMMUNICATIVE DISPLAY:
A COMPARATIVE study of Cyclura rock iguanas.
Variation in chick-a-dee CALLs of a Carolina chickadee population, Poecile carolinensis: identity and
redundancy within note types
COMMUNICATIVE cultures in cetaceans: big questions are unanswered, functional
analyses are needed
The maternal feeding DISPLAY of domestic
hens is sensitive to perceived chick error
Responses of foraging
hedgehogs to badger odour
Early handling increases lamb
affinity for humans
Latent semantic analysis
1972-1977
*title-words
- 1,612 records
1972-1977
aggression
dominance
social behavior
behavior
*title-words
- 1,612 records
1972-1977
reinforcement
conditioning
imprinting/detectiondiscrimination
aggression
dominance
social behavior
orientation
behavior
*title-words
- 1,612 records
1996-2001
*title-words
- 6,422 records
1996-2001
sexualselection
communication
parentalcare
eggdumping
parent/offspringconflict
territoriality
birds
song inbirds
*title-words
- 6,422 records
1996-2001
insects
sperm/fertilization
sexualselection
communication
parentalcare
eggdumping
parent/offspringconflict
territoriality
birds
song inbirds
*title-words
- 6,422 records
1996-2001
cognition
mechanism/development
domesticanimals
welfarelearning/cognition
applied animalbehavior
learning
conditioning
sexualselection
communication
parentalcare
eggdumping
parent/offspringconflict
territoriality
birds
song inbirds
insects
sperm/fertilization*title-words
- 6,422 records
Summary – major trends
• 1972-1977– ethology
– comparative psychology
• 1996-2001– broader vocabulary
– taxonomic split
– applied animal behavior
– mechanism/development...
AggressionBody sizePredation
Predation riskMate choice
Reprod. successSexual selection
HabitatMating successCommunication
EthologyAggression
Body sizePredation risk
TerritorialityForaging
Reprod. successSexual selection
Mating successPredationCourtship
BehaviourBody size
Mate choiceSexual selection
Reprod. successForaging
Predation riskAggression
Foraging behav.Evolution
Competition
Anim. Behav.
Sexual selectionReprod. success
Body sizeEvolutionSurvival
AggressionSperm competition
PredationPredation risk
Mate choice
Behav. Ecol. Socio.
0 1.2 2.4
Sexual selectionBody size
Predation riskReprod. success
FitnessMate choice
ForagingParental careReproduction
Survival
Behav. Ecol.
% frequency
Journal focus (1996-2001)
*keywords
AggressionBody sizePredation
Predation riskMate choice
Reprod. successSexual selection
HabitatMating successCommunication
EthologyAggression
Body sizePredation risk
TerritorialityForaging
Reprod. successSexual selection
Mating successPredationCourtship
BehaviourBody size
Mate choiceSexual selection
Reprod. successForaging
Predation riskAggression
Foraging behav.Evolution
Competition
Anim. Behav.
Sexual selectionReprod. success
Body sizeEvolutionSurvival
AggressionSperm competition
PredationPredation risk
Mate choice
Behav. Ecol. Socio.
0 1.2 2.4
Sexual selectionBody size
Predation riskReprod. success
FitnessMate choice
ForagingParental careReproduction
Survival
Behav. Ecol.
% frequency
Journal focus – sexual selection
*keywords
Journal focus = big 4
*keywords
Anim. Behav.
Behaviour Ethology Behav. Ecol.
Behav. Ecol. Socio.
sexual selection
predation
aggression
foragingbody size
evolution
communication
fitness/reproduction
habitat
parental care
survival
Summary – journal focus (1996-2001)
• 4 dominant areas of study
• Mechanism/development not in top10
• Journal coverage– Anim. Behav., Behaviour, Ethology = ~diverse
– Behav. Ecol., Behav. Ecol. Socio. = sexual selection
1. sexual selection
2. predation
3. aggression
4. foraging
Conclusion
• General research shift– today, ethology =
• sexual selection, social behavior, birds
• applied animal behavior
ethology sexual selection/communication
1972-1977
comparativepsychology applied animal
behavior
1996-2001
Conclusion
• General research shift– today, ethology =
• sexual selection, social behavior, birds
• applied animal behavior
• Journal focus = ‘Big 4’1. sexual selection
2. predation
3. aggression
4. foraging
Conclusion
• General research shift– today, ethology =
• sexual selection, social behavior, birds
• applied animal behavior
• Journal focus = ‘Big 4’
ethology sexual selectionmixed- Behaviour
- Ethology- Anim. Behav.
- Behav. Ecol.
- Behav. Ecol. Socio.
Conclusion
• General research shift– today, ethology =
• sexual selection, social behavior, birds
• applied animal behavior
• Journal focus = ‘Big 4’
• Mechanism/development…?– specialized journals, e.g., Horm. Behav.
– change in vocabulary
Future work
• PRIORITY & SELECTIVE journals – isolate animal behavior papers by keywords
• Author affiliation data– geographic trends
• Funding trends (NIH, NSF, society awards)
• Automation
Acknowledgements
• Roger Beckman
IU Life Sciences Library
• Ann Bristow IU Main Library
• Peter H. Klopfer
Duke University
• Ralph Quarles
IU Library Information Technology
ABS conferences 1999-2003
0 5 10 15 20 25
Sexual selection
Communication
Social behavior
Proximate/mechanism
Predator/prey
Parental care
Aggression/dominance
Foraging
Learning/cognition
Mating behavior
% frequency
*Regular 12 min talks only
Geographic trends (5 journals, 1996-2001)
0 0.6 1.2
sexual selectionreproduct. success
Mate choiceaggression
reproductionpredation
predation risksurvival
Body sizeevolution
territorialityecology
competitionmating
courtshipmating success
foragingforaging behavior
communication
% frequency
non-U.S.A
0 0.6 1.2
sexual selectionreproduct. success
aggressionBody size
mate choicepredation riskreproduction
foragingterritoriality
evolutionpredation
ecologyforaging behavior
communicationsurvival
competitionmating success
parental carecourtship
% frequency
U.S.A
*keywords
0 1 2
Geographic distr.Habitat
BreedingFood habits
Taxonomic reviewMigration
ConservationSystematics
DemographyMorphologyVocalization
VocalizationsEcology
DietZoology
Sexual selectionLearning
Reproduct. successReproduction
Aggression
U.S.A
% frequency
Sexual selectionPredation
Reproduct. successLearning
ReproductionAggression
Mate choiceNatural selection
Body sizeScent marking
Behav. developmentNocturnal activity
Aboveground activityCaptive managament
Juvenile playSurvival
EvolutionPredation risk
EcologyForaging
0 1 2
non-U.S.A
% frequency
Geographic trends (CORE, 1996-2001)
*keywords
0 50 100 150 200 250
Academy of Sciences of Philadelphia
Univ. California, Davis
Cornell Univ.
Univ. Wisconsin
Univ. Michigan
Univ. Pennsylvania
Univ. Kentucky
Univ. Washington
Purdue Univ.
Indiana Univ.
Document count
Author affiliations (U.S.A)- appearing in CORE animal behavior journals