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
Animal behavior – then & now
Niko Tinbergen
1907-1988
Konrad Lorenz
1903-1989
Karl von Frisch
1886-1982
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 papers
Anim. Behav.
Anim. Learn. Behav.
Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.
Behaviour
Behav. Ecol.
Behav. Ecol. Socio.
Behav. Processes
Bird Behav.
Birds N. Am.
Ethology
J. Ethol.
J. Exp. Psychol.: Anim. Behav. Processes
J. Insect Behav.
Learn. Motiv.
CORE journals
1400
Document count
1050
700
350
0
1968
1979
1990
2001
CORE journals
30 yrs
1400
1972-1977
1996-2001
Document count
1050
700
350
0
1968
1979
1990
2001
Latent semantic analysis
Early handling
increases lamb
affinity for
humans
Communicative cultures
in cetaceans: big questions
are unanswered, functional
analyses are needed
Estimating ancestral states of a
communicative display:
A comparative study of
Cyclura rock iguanas.
The maternal feeding
display of domestic
hens is sensitive to
perceived chick error
Does sociality drive the evolution of
communicative complexity? A
comparative test with grounddwelling sciurid alarm calls
Variation in chick-a-dee calls of
a Carolina chickadee population,
Poecile carolinensis: identity and
redundancy within note types
Responses of
foraging
hedgehogs to
badger odour
Latent semantic analysis
Early handling
increases lamb
affinity for
humans
COMMUNICATIVE
cultures
in cetaceans: big questions
are unanswered, functional
analyses are needed
Estimating ancestral states of a
COMMUNICATIVE DISPLAY:
A COMPARATIVE study of
The maternal feeding
DISPLAY of domestic
hens is sensitive to
perceived chick error
Cyclura rock iguanas.
Does sociality drive the evolution of
COMMUNICATIVE complexity? A
COMPARATIVE test with grounddwelling sciurid alarm CALLs
Variation in chick-a-dee CALLs of
a Carolina chickadee population,
Poecile carolinensis: identity and
redundancy within note types
Responses of
foraging
hedgehogs to
badger odour
1972-1977
- 1,612 records
*title-words
1972-1977
- 1,612 records
dominance
social behavior
aggression
behavior
*title-words
1972-1977
- 1,612 records
dominance
social behavior
orientation
aggression
behavior
imprinting/detection
discrimination
conditioning
reinforcement
*title-words
1996-2001
- 6,422 records
*title-words
1996-2001
- 6,422 records
song in
birds
territoriality
communication
parent/
offspring
conflict
birds
parental
care
egg
dumping
*title-words
sexual
selection
1996-2001
- 6,422 records
song in
birds
territoriality
communication
parent/
offspring
conflict
birds
parental
care
egg
dumping
*title-words
sexual
selection
insects
sperm/fertilization
1996-2001
- 6,422 records
conditioning
song in
birds
applied animal
behavior
territoriality
learning/
cognition
communication
parent/
offspring
conflict
learning
birds
welfare
mechanism/
development
domestic
animals
parental
care
egg
dumping
*title-words
sexual
selection
cognition
insects
sperm/fertilization
Summary – major trends
• 1972-1977
– ethology
– comparative psychology
• 1996-2001
– broader vocabulary
– taxonomic split
– applied animal behavior
– mechanism/development...
Journal focus (1996-2001)
Anim. Behav.
Body size
Mate choice
Sexual selection
Reprod. success
Foraging
Predation risk
Aggression
Foraging behav.
Evolution
Competition
Behaviour
Sexual selection
Sexual selection
Habitat
Mating success
Communication
Mating success
Predation
Courtship
Body size
Predation risk
Reprod. success
Fitness
Mate choice
Foraging
Parental care
Reproduction
Survival
*keywords
Aggression
Body size
Predation
Predation risk
Mate choice
Reprod. success
Aggression
Body size
Predation risk
Territoriality
Foraging
Reprod. success
Behav. Ecol.
Sexual selection
0
Ethology
Behav. Ecol. Socio.
Sexual selection
Reprod. success
Body size
Evolution
Survival
Aggression
Sperm competition
Predation
Predation risk
Mate choice
1.2
2.4
% frequency
Journal focus – sexual selection
Anim. Behav.
Body size
Mate choice
Sexual selection
Reprod. success
Foraging
Predation risk
Aggression
Foraging behav.
Evolution
Competition
Behaviour
Sexual selection
Sexual selection
Habitat
Mating success
Communication
Mating success
Predation
Courtship
Body size
Predation risk
Reprod. success
Fitness
Mate choice
Foraging
Parental care
Reproduction
Survival
*keywords
Aggression
Body size
Predation
Predation risk
Mate choice
Reprod. success
Aggression
Body size
Predation risk
Territoriality
Foraging
Reprod. success
Behav. Ecol.
Sexual selection
0
Ethology
Behav. Ecol. Socio.
Sexual selection
Reprod. success
Body size
Evolution
Survival
Aggression
Sperm competition
Predation
Predation risk
Mate choice
1.2
2.4
% frequency
Journal focus = big 4
Anim.
Behav.
sexual selection
predation
aggression
foraging
body size
evolution
communication






Behaviour





Ethology Behav. Behav.
Ecol.
Ecol. Socio.








fitness/reproduction
habitat
parental care
survival
*keywords











Summary – journal focus (1996-2001)
•
4 dominant areas of study
1. sexual selection
2. predation
3. aggression
4. foraging
•
Mechanism/development not in top10
•
Journal coverage
–
Anim. Behav., Behaviour, Ethology = ~diverse
–
Behav. Ecol., Behav. Ecol. Socio. = sexual selection
Conclusion
• General research shift
– today, ethology =
• sexual selection, social behavior, birds
• applied animal behavior
1972-1977
1996-2001
ethology
sexual selection/
communication
comparative
psychology
applied animal
behavior
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
- Behaviour
- Ethology
mixed
- Anim. Behav.
sexual selection
- 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
*Regular 12 min talks only
Sexual selection
Communication
Social behavior
Proximate/mechanism
Predator/prey
Parental care
Aggression/dominance
Foraging
Learning/cognition
Mating behavior
0
5
10
15 20 25
% frequency
Geographic trends (5 journals, 1996-2001)
U.S.A
non-U.S.A
sexual selection
reproduct. success
aggression
Body size
mate choice
predation risk
reproduction
foraging
territoriality
evolution
predation
ecology
foraging behavior
communication
survival
competition
mating success
parental care
courtship
*keywords
0
0.6
% frequency
sexual selection
reproduct. success
Mate choice
aggression
reproduction
predation
predation risk
survival
Body size
evolution
territoriality
ecology
competition
mating
courtship
mating success
foraging
foraging behavior
communication
1.2
0
0.6
% frequency
1.2
Geographic trends (CORE, 1996-2001)
U.S.A
non-U.S.A
Sexual selection
Predation
Reproduct. success
Learning
Reproduction
Aggression
Mate choice
Natural selection
Body size
Scent marking
Behav. development
Nocturnal activity
Aboveground activity
Captive managament
Juvenile play
Survival
Evolution
Predation risk
Ecology
Foraging
Geographic distr.
Habitat
Breeding
Food habits
Taxonomic review
Migration
Conservation
Systematics
Demography
Morphology
Vocalization
Vocalizations
Ecology
Diet
Zoology
Sexual selection
Learning
Reproduct. success
Reproduction
Aggression
*keywords
0
1
% frequency
2
0
1
% frequency
2
Author affiliations (U.S.A)
- appearing in CORE animal behavior journals
Academy of Sciences of Philadelphia
Univ. California, Davis
Cornell Univ.
Univ. Wisconsin
Univ. Michigan
Univ. Pennsylvania
Univ. Kentucky
Univ. Washington
Purdue Univ.
Indiana Univ.
0
50
100
150
200
Document count
250