Suma Psicológica ISSN: 0121-4381 [email protected] Fundación Universitaria Konrad Lorenz Colombia Moreno, Carlos B.; Muñoz-Delgado, Jairo AN ACCOUNT ON THE HISTORY OF ETHOLOGY Suma Psicológica, vol. 14, núm. 2, septiembre, 2007, pp. 213-224 Fundación Universitaria Konrad Lorenz Bogotá, Colombia Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=134216871001 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Anccount on the history of ethology 213 Suma Psicológica, Vol. 14 N° 2 Septiembre de 2007, 213-224, ISSN 0121-4381 AN ACCOUNT ON THE HISTORY OF ETHOLOGY Carlos B. Moreno* Universidad del Rosario, Colombia Jairo Muñoz-Delgado** UNAM, México ABSTRACT Ethology has been traditionally defined as the biological study of behavior. Although its initial studies go back to the second half of the XIX century, its acknowledgement as a scientific discipline dates only from 1973, when the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology is awarded to three of its most outstanding representatives: Konrad Lorenz, Niko Tinbergen and Karl von Frisch. In this text a journey that includes the main historical landmarks of ethology will be undertaken, making special emphasis on conceptual and theoretical aspects. A revision of the background that allows the establishment of ethology as a discipline will be made, as well as a view of its development * Professor of Neuroscience, Neuroscience Group (NEUROS), Faculty of Medicine, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia. ISHE (International Society for Human Ethology) member. Correspondence: Carlos B. Moreno and/or Address: Grupo de Neurociencias, Instituto de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Rosario, Carrera 24, calle 63D, Quinta de Mutis, Bogotá, DC. Colombia. E-mail: [email protected] ** Chronoecology and Human Ethology, Departament of Ethology, Division of Neurosciences, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñíz, México, D.F. Psychology Faculty, UNAM.Correspondence:Jairo Muñoz-Delgado Address: Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente. Dirección de Neurociencias. Avenida México-Xochimilco 101, San Lorenzo-Huipulco, CP. 14370, delegación Tlalpan, México, D.F. e-mail: [email protected] Suma Psicológica, Vol. 14 N° 2: 213-224, septiembre 2007, Bogotá (Col.) 214 Carlos B. Moreno, Jairo Muñoz-Delgado and maturity. Finally, the birth of the subdivision known as Human Ethology together with its contemporary tendencies will be addressed. Key words: Classic ethology, human ethology, urban ethology, animal behaviour RESUMEN La Etología se ha definido tradicionalmente como «el estudio biológi- co del comportamiento». Aunque sus estudios iniciales surgen des- de la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, su reconocimiento como disciplina científica se fecha solamente a partir de 1973, cuando el premio Nobel para la Medicina y la Fisiología se concede a tres de sus representantes más excepcionales: Konrad Lorenz, Niko Tinbergen y Karl von Frisch. En este texto, se emprende un viaje que incluye las señales históricas principales de la Etología, con un énfasis especial en los aspectos conceptuales y teóricos. Esta revisión ilus- tra el establecimiento de la Etología como disciplina, así como una visión de su desarrollo y madurez. Finalmente, se analiza el naci- miento de la subdivisión conocida como etología humana junto con sus tendencias contemporáneas. Palabras Clave: Etología clásica, Etología humana, Etología urba- na, Comportamiento animal he term ethology takes various science. The English philosopher and Tacceptations before it is economist John Stuart Mill, in the employed in its current form. second volume of his work Logic in The word originates from the Greek 1893, considers ethology to be the word ethos having various meanings, science corresponding to the act of but it can be adequately translated into educating, in its wider sense, including character, indicating some distinction the formation of national and or peculiarity of a person or animal or, collective characters, as well as the in the sense of moral character, as a individual one. result of a habit (Jaynes, 1969). While this is taking place in In the XVII century an actor or England, Isidore Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, mimic is known as an ethologist, since in France in 1859, uses the word he portrays human characters in the ethology in quite an informal manner theater. But in the XVIII century, to refer to an extensive classification ethology is the science of ethics and of biology associated with the study of ethologist the person studying this animals not as inert beings kept in Suma Psicológica, Vol. 14 N° 2: 213-224, septiembre 2007, Bogotá (Col.) Anccount on the history of ethology 215 formaldehyde, but as living organisms animals, The walking of animals and On in their natural environment. Around the generation of animals. this time, in 1857, Ernst Haeckel intro- The first document is an duces the term ecology and defines it as enumeration of observations on the relation of a living organism with comparative anatomy, reproductive its environment (Haeckel, 1898). This functions, locomotion and sensory term gains wide acceptance toward the aspects of several animal species; all the texts contain descriptions and end of the XIX century, whereas that classification elements. Aristotle of ethology comes to the brink of utilizes the comparative approach, disappearance. Alfred Giard, an provides reasoning by analogy, verifies important French biologist teaching at conclusions and extends his studies to the Sorbonne, starts using with all the circumstances of animal life: increasing frequency the word ethology in the 1870s in reference to ways of living, habits, diseases, those studies relating a living influence of climate, etc. In his work organism to its immediate habitat. On the generation of animals, he gives During the first years of the XX an account of the genders, copulation, century, the use of the term is restricted fecundation, embryology, birth, to the study of animal behavior in its heredity, and care given to young natural environment, thus marking a individuals. Aristotle must be admired difference with comparative psychology for the accurate description of and especially with classic behavioral observed facts, the vastness of his studies emphasizing learning under knowledge and his theoretical controlled laboratory conditions. constructions. For instance, in his treatises he mentions 495 different FORERUNNERS species that he observed himself; he always avoided the reference of A rapid retrospective look into the history animals he did not know directly. of biology allows us to identify various During the Hellenic and Roman scholars who render descriptions of periods, the study of animals suffers various aspects of animal behavior, in a real decadence. The interest of the what it may be considered a pre-history majority of studies is centered in man, of ethology. astronomy, mathematics, and Possibly, the first one is Aristotle physics; an exception is the work of (384-322/21 B.C). This natural Claudius Eliano (circa 170-249 A.D.): philosopher, who bequeaths biology History of Animals. In this treatise, with several fundamental concepts, the author describes the behavior of writes various treatises dealing with animals in the three elements (water, natural history during his last 12 earth and air), with the intention of years of existence; we can mention showing that animals fulfill among them: History of animals, On the completely their own aims, unlike parts of the animals, The movement of Suma Psicológica, Vol. 14 N° 2: 213-224, septiembre 2007, Bogotá (Col.) 216 Carlos B. Moreno, Jairo Muñoz-Delgado what occurs very often with humans. when compared to the ideas postulated On the other hand, for the Arabs, na- by current comparative psychologists. tural sciences, in the proper sense of In this manner, for example, he writes the word, are only auxiliaries to in relation to instinctive behavior: agriculture and medicine, that is, they birds of the same class make their are considered practical arts. This is the nests of the same material, build them reason of the lack of documented in the same order and give them the evidence on observations of animal same shape, for on seeing the nest behavior for several centuries. one can know with certainty to which In the XIII century, possibly type of bird it belongs; birds are able to coinciding with the teachings of Saint do it even though they have never Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), a seen a nest before or made one, that significant change in attitude toward is, even though they had been nature takes place, particularly in snatched from it and brought up reference to animals. Albertus outside of it (Thorpe, 1982). Magnus (1200?-1280), known as the In the XVIII, the seedling of ethology Universal Doctor, writes an extensive starts germinating in France. Georges work called De animalibus, which Leroy (1723-1789) publishes, in 1764, consists of 26 books gathering origi- The intelligence and the affectability of nal observations on, for example, the animals from a philosophical point of description on how a spider weaves its view, with a few words on Man. The book net, or how an ant, having one of its is written as epistles for her friend antennae severed, is incapable of Madame dAngiviller; here he states returning to its nest without the help that in the study of animals isolated of its companions (Taton, 1957). facts must be excluded. What In the XVI century, naturalists, constitutes the true field of observation such as Aldrovani, Gesner and lies in their daily behavior, the set of Turner, make important descriptions all their acts with underlying of various animal species; in their modifications in accordance with the work they add fantastic details as well circumstances, all collaborating toward as the description of some beasts the objectives that must necessarily entirely imaginary. keep present, each according to its own In the XVII century, the English nature.