1

From ethology to sexual selection:

trends in animal behavior research
Terry J. Ord, Emlia P. Martins
Department of Biology, Indiana University
Sidharth Thakur
Computer Science Department, Indiana University
Ketan K. Mane, Katy Brner
School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University
Niko Tinbergen
1907-1988
Karl von Frisch
1886-1982
Konrad Lorenz
1903-1989
Animal behavior then & now
2
Animal behavior then & now
mechanism/
development
evolutionary theory/
population biology
*1975
Animal behavior then & now
Peter Klopfer (2002 - ABS newsletter)
7 journals, 1
st
50 papers 1950 vs 2000
little change
John Alcock (2003 ABS 50
th
anniversary)
animal behavior in texts
< 1975 = proximate, >1975 = ultimate
3
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
4
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.
5
0
350
700
1050
1400
1968 1979 1990 2001
D
o
c
u
m
e
n
t

c
o
u
n
t
CORE journals
0
350
700
1050
1400
1968 1979 1990 2001
D
o
c
u
m
e
n
t

c
o
u
n
t
1972-1977 1996-2001
30 yrs
CORE journals
6
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
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
7
1972-1977
*title-words
- 1,612 records
1972-1977
aggression
dominance
social behavior
behavior
*title-words
- 1,612 records
8
1972-1977
reinforcement
conditioning
imprinting/detection
discrimination
aggression
dominance
social behavior
orientation
behavior
*title-words
- 1,612 records
1996-2001
*title-words
- 6,422 records
9
1996-2001
sexual
selection
communication
parental
care
egg
dumping
parent/
offspring
conflict
territoriality
birds
song in
birds
*title-words
- 6,422 records
1996-2001
insects
sperm/fertilization
sexual
selection
communication
parental
care
egg
dumping
parent/
offspring
conflict
territoriality
birds
song in
birds
*title-words
- 6,422 records
10
1996-2001
cognition
mechanism/
development
domestic
animals
welfare
learning/
cognition
applied animal
behavior
learning
conditioning
sexual
selection
communication
parental
care
egg
dumping
parent/
offspring
conflict
territoriality
birds
song in
birds
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...
11
Aggression
Body size
Predation
Predation risk
Mate choice
Reprod. success
Sexual selection
Habitat
Mating success
Communication
Ethology
Aggression
Body size
Predation risk
Territoriality
Foraging
Reprod. success
Sexual selection
Mating success
Predation
Courtship
Behaviour
Body size
Mate choice
Sexual selection
Reprod. success
Foraging
Predation risk
Aggression
Foraging behav.
Evolution
Competition
Anim. Behav.
Sexual selection
Reprod. success
Body size
Evolution
Survival
Aggression
Sperm competition
Predation
Predation risk
Mate choice
Behav. Ecol. Socio.
0 1.2 2.4
Sexual selection
Body size
Predation risk
Reprod. success
Fitness
Mate choice
Foraging
Parental care
Reproduction
Survival
Behav. Ecol.
% frequency
Journal focus (1996-2001)
*keywords
Aggression
Body size
Predation
Predation risk
Mate choice
Reprod. success
Sexual selection
Habitat
Mating success
Communication
Ethology
Aggression
Body size
Predation risk
Territoriality
Foraging
Reprod. success
Sexual selection
Mating success
Predation
Courtship
Behaviour
Body size
Mate choice
Sexual selection
Reprod. success
Foraging
Predation risk
Aggression
Foraging behav.
Evolution
Competition
Anim. Behav.
Sexual selection
Reprod. success
Body size
Evolution
Survival
Aggression
Sperm competition
Predation
Predation risk
Mate choice
Behav. Ecol. Socio.
0 1.2 2.4
Sexual selection
Body size
Predation risk
Reprod. success
Fitness
Mate choice
Foraging
Parental care
Reproduction
Survival
Behav. Ecol.
% frequency
Journal focus sexual selection
*keywords
12
Journal focus = big 4
*keywords
survival
parental care
habitat
fitness/reproduction
communication
evolution
body size
foraging
aggression
predation
sexual selection
Behav.
Ecol. Socio.
Behav.
Ecol.
Ethology Behaviour Anim.
Behav.

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
13
Conclusion
General research shift
today, ethology =
sexual selection, social behavior, birds
applied animal behavior
ethology sexual selection/
communication
1972-1977
comparative
psychology 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
14
Conclusion
General research shift
today, ethology =
sexual selection, social behavior, birds
applied animal behavior
Journal focus = Big 4
ethology sexual selection
mixed
- 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
15
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
16
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
17
Geographic trends (5 journals, 1996-2001)
0 0.6 1.2
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
% frequency
non-U.S.A
0 0.6 1.2
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
% frequency
U.S.A
*keywords
0 1 2
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
U.S.A
% frequency
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
0 1 2
non-U.S.A
% frequency
Geographic trends (CORE, 1996-2001)
*keywords
18
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