Behavioral Biology

Behavioural biology examines the behaviour of humans and animals and investigates which behaviour is innate and which skills are learned in the course of life. An overview of our research.

chimpanzee and infant

Chimpanzees perform the same complex behaviors that have brought humans success more

Great tit.

After immigrating to a new place, birds rapidly learn useful tricks from local experts more

Kuhl's pipistrelle

Small bats fly home using environmental features with distinctive acoustic cues as landmarks more

Zebra finch mothers coach their sons to sing better

New study reveals surprising female influence on song learning in zebra finches more

How cranes navigate their complex world

Study of four crane species reveals the complicated relationships between birds and their environments more

Fish swimming in water with light shining down

Artificial light at night changes the behavior of fish, even into the next generation more

A juvenile golden eagle carrying a tracking device on its lower back. The data collected by the tracking device allows scientists to understand the development of flight behavior as the birds grow older.

Golden eagles improve their flight skills with age more

Energetic costs of the migratory lifestyle in blackbirds

The birds save more energy prior their migration to the south than they consume during the flight itself more

<span><span>Summer in the far north</span></span>

The Arctic tundra is an extreme habitat. more

Researchers listen to the hearts of bats in flight

Bats can ramp up heart rate from 6 to 900 beats per minute within minutes more

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Great tit.

After immigrating to a new place, birds rapidly learn useful tricks from local experts more

Kuhl's pipistrelle

Small bats fly home using environmental features with distinctive acoustic cues as landmarks more

Fish swimming in water with light shining down

Artificial light at night changes the behavior of fish, even into the next generation more

A juvenile golden eagle carrying a tracking device on its lower back. The data collected by the tracking device allows scientists to understand the development of flight behavior as the birds grow older.

Golden eagles improve their flight skills with age more

Energetic costs of the migratory lifestyle in blackbirds

The birds save more energy prior their migration to the south than they consume during the flight itself more

Researchers listen to the hearts of bats in flight

Bats can ramp up heart rate from 6 to 900 beats per minute within minutes more

A coati in the forest

Why do primates have big brains? In the Panamanian rainforest, scientists pitted large-brained primates against smaller-brained mammals to find out who was the smartest forager more

Zebrafish swimming in a school

Virtual Reality experiments have illuminated the rhythmic glue that could keep animals moving in synchrony more

A sumatran orangutan with a wound on his face

Researchers observe a wild orangutan applying a plant with known medicinal properties to a wound, a first for a wild animal more

four storks flying in the sky

Young animals in particular prefer to move with their conspecifics more

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Scientific highlights 2022

Scientific highlights 2022

December 14, 2022

Many publications by Max Planck scientists in 2022 were of great social relevance or met with a great media response. We have selected 12 articles to present you with an overview of some noteworthy research of the year more

"Fish are not stupid, they're just different!"

Fish are his passion. Alex Jordan wants to know why they do what they do. An interview with the behavioural biologist more

"In my opinion, 'social distancing’ is the wrong term"

The primatologist Roman Wittig explains in this interview, why he prefers to speak in terms of "spatial” rather than “social” distancing, and how virtual (online) meetings can replace real meetings to a certain extent. more

Even chimpanzees and six-year-old infants want to punish antisocial behaviour more

Migration pays off for songbirds

Blackbirds that spend the winter in the south are more likely to survive the cold season than their conspecifics in central Europe more

Chimpanzees fill another’s knowledge gap

Researchers show that vocalizing in chimpanzees is influenced by social cognitive processes more

Chimpanzees and sooty mangabeys interfere with other group members’ relationships

Bystanders monitor and intervene into grooming interactions of their group members if these threaten their own status or social relationships more

Food odour enhances male flies’ attractiveness

When female flies smell their favorite food, they become more receptive to courting males more

shrew

The tiny mammals reduce the size of their organs in the winter and can even decrease and rebuild bones more

Icarus lifts off

The Icarus on-board computer, the first component of the global animal observatory system, has gone into space more

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Grey parrots help others to obtain food

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology based at the research station outpost for parrot comparative cognition in the Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain, have shown that parrots exhibit a high level of social intelligence and cooperativeness. They readily help others, even when there is no immediate opportunity for reciprocation. Moreover, they reciprocate received favours and do not appear jealous, if conspecifics obtain a better reward than themselves. more

Dogs' clever minds

Dogs and humans have been living together for 15,000 years – a long time to get used to each other.  Behavioural biologists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig are investigating how well the animals have adapted to humans. They discovered that dogs are frequently better at understanding human gestures than other animal species. For example, dogs understand referential gestures, such as pointing, and realise they can get away with doing something forbidden when their owners just happen to be looking elsewhere. more

Bonobos - chimpanzees' gentle cousins

Bonobos - chimpanzees' gentle cousins more

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