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