Ethology studies animal and human behavior todescribe and to interpret species-specific features either in broad or in context-related situations. Our research is devoted to the multidisciplinary study of animal behavior in a broad sense and focuses on the proximate causation and on the evolutionary mechanisms of behavior.

We investigated ontogeny and evolution of the social behaviour and intra- and inter-specific communication by means of acoustical, chemical, and visual signals. Ethics and animal welfare are also area of intervention.  In the frame of EU co-financed international cooperation projects we carry on the study of the interplay between behaviour and food security, sustainable development, and climate change in different parts of Italy and in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

We also run an international Laurea Magistrale "Evolution of animal and human behaviour" and are implementing an internarional PhD program in food security in Comoros and Madagascar (EGALE - « Gathering Universities for Quality in Education » FED/2013/320-117 -10 October 2013).