Analyzing a Story About Animal Behavior

Find a story about animal behavior, not other areas of biology like neuroscience, based on a study published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Locate and read the study the story is based on. What overarching topic in animal behavior or cognition was the study addressed? What was the main finding? Describe the experiment and the results in your own words. How does this result in adding to our understanding of the topic being studied? Popular coverage of science can miss important points or be downright inaccurate. If someone mentioned this study to you in conversation, what would you say that might add to or clarify that person’s understanding? Or, if the study didn’t get much press, what might you say to a friend about why this study should have gotten more attention?