During the second voyage he found that finches showed a wide variation of skills and habitats, which he then realized there were a wide array of different shaped beaks (Grant, 1986). This he linked to how the finches had adapted their beaks to live in different habitats of the Galapagos Islands. Darwin published his findings in a book called ‘The Origin of Species’ in 1859 which helped people to get a better understanding of the natural world, as well as an opening for more scientific breakthroughs.
 

Contribution to ethology – His theory of evolution contributed to the field of ethology, which is the object of studying animal behaviour in nature and showed that all species share a common ancestor and their characteristics gradually change over an extended period of time, to adapt and survive in the changing environment, this can be supported through fossil records (Bonner, 1988). Darwin's theory is still being used in modern day research as “Social selection is assumed to represent a strong and dynamic evolutionary force that can act with or in opposition to natural selection” (Santostefano, Garant, Bergeron, Montiglio & Réale, 2019). Darwin's study of behaviour has led to a better understanding of not only wild animals, but animals kept in zoo collections. This has helped to increase the welfare of captive animals as one of the five animal welfare needs, which is the need to exhibit normal behaviour patterns as stated by the Animal Welfare Act 2006. By understanding what these normal behaviours are in the wild and the natural habitats that these species live in, which have caused these adaptations and change in characteristics, zookeepers in modern day zoos can imitate this environment in the best way possible for animals to have a high welfare standard (Kapheim, 2019). 

Modern day research – Santostefano, F., Garant, D., Bergeron, P., Montiglio, P., & Réale, D. (2019). Social selection acts on behavior and body mass but does not contribute to the total selection differential in eastern chipmunks. Evolution. 74(1), 89-1-02. doi:10.1111/evo.13875  

This article shows that social gradients did not have an effect of overall total selection differentials, meaning natural selection could cause phenotypic changes alone. This supports Darwin's ideas and proves that his theory of natural selection is still used in the modern-day field of work.
 

Quammen, D., 2007. All versions (BOOK) The Reluctant MR. Darwin: An Intimates Darwin And The making Of His Theory OF Evolution (Great Discoveries). 

This book gives an intimate portrait of Charles Darwin and a better understanding of the making of his theory of evolution. Its goal is to recreate the 19th century to teach modern day people about how Darwin was able to create an almost accurate theory of evolution. 

 

 

 

 

 

Contribution to ethology – Janes discoveries have contributed to the field of conservation as she founded the Jane Goodall Institute in order to support research in Gombe in 1977, to help protect the chimpanzees in their habitats from problems such as deforestation which causes a rapid decline in their populations. She also found that chimpanzees were capable of using tools. “Jane Goodall's groundbreaking discoveries of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) tool use, hunting, and complex social relationships in what was then a game reserve drew attention to the area and created support for upgrading Gombe to national park status in 1968” (Pusey, Pintea, Wilson, Kamenya & Goodall, 2007).  

Modern day research -  

Walker, K., Walker, C., Goodall, J., & Pusey, A. (2018). Maturation is prolonged and variable in female chimpanzees. Journal Of Human Evolution, 114, 131-140. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.10.010 

This article is about reporting maturation milestones for 36 female wild chimpanzees of known age ranging up to 22 years old and in which these findings indicate the importance of maternal factors in the progression of development. The results in the figures show that sexual maturity ages are postponed in orphaned females before the age of eight years old and the offspring of mothers in a low rank of the hierarchy of their community. 

 

Contribution to ethology – Lorenz studied animal behaviour which “involves the static postures and active movements all the noises and smells and the changes of colour and shape that characterize animal life” (Stamp Dawkins, 2012). His theory and discoveries have played a massive role in the contribution of evolutionary biology and he showed that after a gosling hatches, there is a critical stage where they learn to follow real or foster parents, which is the process of imprinting. This includes the gosling responding to auditory and visual stimuli. This suggests that it is innate behaviour and is genetically programmed in their DNA. In 1973 he was awarded a shared Nobel prize with the animal behaviourist’s Karl von Frisch and Nikolaas Tinbergen for physiology or medicine (Burkhardt, 2005).  

Modern day research - Konrad Lorenz's theory is still being used in modern day science as there are recent studies that include the concept of imprinting.  

Miura, M., & Matsushima, T. (2016). Biological motion facilitates filial imprinting. Animal Behaviour, 116, 171-180. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.03.025 

In this article it states that chicks were used in order to collect results and they imprinted on point–light animation, which was in red or yellow, as well as tested for colour preference. The results showed that imprinting chicks with a higher biological motion preference showed a higher score after brief imprinting. 

 

 

 

Contribution to ethology – Tinbergen's advancements led the way to an evolutionary approach to animal behaviour as well as his research patterns helped to play a vital role in the development of ethology. “Tinbergen introduced his four questions in his 1963 paper “On the Aims and Methods of Ethology,” written primarily to honor his friend and mentor, Konrad Lorenz. Tinbergen argues that Lorenz’s preeminent contribution was to show that it is possible to study behavior from a biological perspective, a perspective characterized by a particular set of questions” (Conley, 2019). 

Modern day research –     

Kapheim, K. (2019). Correction to: Synthesis of Tinbergen’s four questions and the future of sociogenomics. Behavioral Ecology And Sociobiology, 73(2). doi: 10.1007/s00265-018-2626-z 

 This article shows recent findings regarding the mechanisms of Tinbergen's four questions in ants, bees, and wasps. The results reveal that there has been a rapid growth rate of knowledge and understanding regarding the genetic underpinnings of eusocial behaviour.  

 

 

 

 

Contribution to ethology – In 1904 he won a Nobel prize for discovering the fact that the nervous system was responsible for controlling the secretion of digestive fluids in the stomach and the pancreas. “Five years later, he demonstrated the "conditioned reflex" in a now famous experiment in which a dinner bell stimulated salivation in laboratory dogs” (Gray, 1981). He realized that the dog's salvation increased when people in white lab coats came to feed them. This meant that they had learned to associate the lab coats, which would have been the conditional stimulus, in relation to feeding (Cambiaghi & Sacchetti, 2015). Furthermore, the concept of classical conditioning is also enforced in aversion and desensitization therapies.  

Modern day research - Skvortsova, A., Veldhuijzen, D., Kloosterman, I., Meijer, O., van Middendorp, H., Pacheco-Lopez, G., & Evers, A. (2019). Conditioned hormonal responses: A systematic review in animals and humans. Frontiers In Neuroendocrinology, 52, 206-218. doi: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.12.005 

 
This article shows that there is evidence to support that classical conditioning can influence certain endocrine responses. Animal and human research was taken place in order to create the figures seen in the article and it suggests how classical conditioned endocrine responses can be used in clinical practices. This supports Ivan Pavlov's concept of classical conditioning and the fact that it is still being used in modern day research.