Animal Behavior

Neuroscientists have discovered the brain system that calms babies down when they are being carried. Interestingly, it is the same brain system that gives people athletic prowess and grace under pressure. Read More

Studies that have looked at systematic crossbreeding of dog breeds have shown that the first generation offspring show a blend of their parents personality characteristics. However subsequent generations become much more unpredictable which has implications for the so-called "designer breeds". Read More

Compassionate conservation is a rapidly growing international movement. This paradigm shift focuses on major themes including animal protection and the conservation of wild animals, captive animal welfare and conservation, conservation consequences of wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and release, the international trade in wild animals, and the lives of individual animals. Read More

Pro- and anti-wolf forces square off in Michigan over a referendum that would repeal a legislative reclassification of the wolf to a game species suitable for hunting. Anti-wolf forces oppose letting Michiganders decide the fate of wolves in their state by democratic vote. Wolves are at the center of a political power struggle. Photo by Scott Flaherty, USFWS. Read More

While I enjoy Dr. Grandin's feistiness I disagree with her views on cows. Her seemingly humane "stairway to heaven" along which cows trod to their death ("dead cow walking") doesn't protect but a tiny fraction of all the cows who find themselves served up for unneeded meals and it would be nice to see Dr. Grandin really speak out against factory farming once and for all. Read More

Winning at home may seem a bit like a pupil who excels at lunch. Yet, there are real advantages to the sense of confidence and security accruing to time spent at home. The underlying psychology has deep roots in evolution. Read More

The reprehensible killing of dolphins in Japan is discussed in a scientific journal in an essay titled "A Veterinary and Behavioral Analysis of the Killing Methods Used in the Dolphin Drive Hunts in Taiji, Japan". As was done in "The Cove", this is a wonderful move for continuing to raise awareness of what is happening in Taiji. The dolphins need all the help they can get. Read More

Intelligence is a slippery concept and there's no reason to think it's linked with an individual's capacity to suffer. Here I revisit a paper I published in 1994 called "Cognitive ethology and the treatment of non-human animals: How matters of mind inform matters of welfare". It's clear from recent research that supposedly "less intelligent" animals also deeply suffer. Read More

Small-brained animals display surprising and very sophisticated cognitive skills. Relative brain size is only one factor to consider when studying just how smart animals are because individuals maximize the use of what they have. Being called a birdbrain or a bee brain really is okay. Size doesn't matter. Read More