Behavioral Studies Develop Through Animal Observation and Experimentation
Overview
Early in the twentieth century, scientists became interested not only in discovering new organisms, but in understanding more about the behavior of known organisms. A group of biologists took special note of social behavior, and learned about the amazingly complex organizations of a wide range of animals from protozoa to bees, and ants to birds. One of the best-known behaviorists of the period was Karl von Frisch (1886-1982), who established how honey bees communicate with one another about the location of a food source. That study has become a staple in biology and behavior textbooks. Other major researchers who made important contributions to the study of animal behavior during this time included Warder Allee (1885-1955), Herbert S. Jennings (1868-1947), Nikolaas Tinbergen (1907-1988), Konrad Lorenz (1903-1989), and William Morton Wheeler (1865-1937).
Background
One of the most famous examples of the research on social behavior during this or any period came from Karl von Frisch, a zoologist from Vienna, and his study of honey bees. Originally, he was interested in how bees detected color and odors, but he soon turned his attention to the method by which a few scout bees were able to inform the hive of a newly found flower patch or other food source, and then give accurate directions to it.
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