Foraging as an ethological framework for neuroscience
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Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The study of foraging is central to a renewed interest in naturalistic behavior in neuroscience. Applying a foraging framework grounded in behavioral ecology has enabled probing of the mechanisms underlying cognitive processes such as decision-making within a more ecological context. Yet, foraging also involves myriad other aspects, including navigation of complex environments, sensory processing, and social interactions. Here, we first provide a brief overview of the neuroscience of foraging decisions, and then combine insights from behavioral ecology and neuroscience to review the role of these additional dimensions of foraging. We conclude by highlighting four opportunities for the continued development of foraging as an ethological framework for neuroscience: integrating normative and implementation-level models, developing new tools, enabling cross-species comparisons, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
Date Issued
2025-11-01
Date Acceptance
2025-10-01
Citation
Trends in Neurosciences, 2025, 48 (11), pp.877-890
ISSN
0166-2236
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Start Page
877
End Page
890
Journal / Book Title
Trends in Neurosciences
Volume
48
Issue
11
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2025-10-07