Relating to the study of animal behavior and character; concerned with how animals naturally act and interact.
From Greek ēthos (character, custom) + -logical (relating to study). Ethos shifted meanings from 'character' to 'typical behavior,' giving us this adjective in the 19th century.
Ethologic research revealed that animals have personalities and preferences—not just instincts—like how some individual octopuses are bolder than others, changing how we think about animal minds.
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