Ethologi

Ethology is the scientific study of animal behavior, focusing on behavior under natural conditions. It examines the evolutionary and ecological basis of behavior, including how genetic and environmental factors shape patterns that enhance survival and reproduction. Ethology differs from general psychology by prioritizing instinctual and innate behaviors and by emphasizing observation in natural settings.

The field emerged in the early 20th century with contributions from Konrad Lorenz, Niko Tinbergen, and Karl von Frisch, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1973 for discoveries in individual and social behavior patterns. Lorenz's work on imprinting in birds, Tinbergen's four questions and studies of predation and social behavior, and von Frisch's research on animal communication helped establish systematic methods for studying behavior.

Key concepts include fixed action patterns, sign stimuli, imprinting, instinct, and the function or adaptive value of behaviors. Ethologists employ naturalistic observation, field experiments, and sometimes laboratory experiments to test hypotheses about causation, development, evolution, and function—Tinbergen's four questions.

Relation to other fields: Ethology overlaps with behavioral ecology, neuroethology, and comparative psychology. It informs animal welfare, husbandry, conservation, and management by understanding natural behavior and needs. Contemporary ethology integrates genetic, neurological, and ecological perspectives, using technologies such as tracking, video analysis, and molecular tools.