Comparative behavior, ethology

1966 – Ph.D., Biopsychology, University of Chicago

Although my lab is closed, I do collaborate with colleagues at UT and around the world. Our research group has, over the years, worked on numerous topics that include field and laboratory studies using observational, experimental, and molecular genetics approaches to questions of ontogeny and chemoreception in reptiles, as well as communication, predation, social behavior, cognition, phylogeny, mating, and antipredator behavior. Snakes were a primary focus because of our interest in the tongue-vomeronasal organ system, however, turtles, crocodylians, and lizards (especially iguanas and monitors) were also studied. Black bear behavior and development has been another important and continuing interest.  A major interest for over 50 years has been play behavior, its origins, mechanisms, ontogeny, and evolution, especially in “non-playing” taxa.

I also have a continuing interest in the ethical treatment of animals, and theoretical and historical issues in ontogeny, play, anthropomorphism, ritual, and religion as well as the historical antecedents of contemporary ethology, psychology, and behavioral ecology. I also have edited several journals and am the Founding (and current) Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Ethology https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ethology

Books

Burghardt, G. M. & Bekoff, M. (eds.).  1978. The Development of Behavior: Comparative and Evolutionary Aspects.  Garland STPM press, New York.

Burghardt, G. M. & Rand, A. S. (eds.).  1982. Iguanas of the World: Their Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation.  Noyes Publications, New Jersey, (reprinted, 1995).

Burghardt, G. M. (ed.). 1985. Foundations of Comparative Ethology. Benchmark papers in Behavior Series, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.

Burghardt, G. M., Bielitski, J. T., Boyce, J. R., & Schaefer, D. O. (eds.). 1996. The Well-being of Animals in Zoo and Aquarium Sponsored Research. Scientists Center for Animal Welfare, Greenbelt, MD.

Bekoff, M., Allen, C., & Burghardt, G. M. (eds.). 2002. The Cognitive Animal: Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives on Animal Cognition. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Burghardt, G. M.  The Genesis of Animal Play: Testing the Limits. 2005. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. Paperback (corrected) edition (2006).

Call, J., Burghardt, G. M., Pepperberg, I. M., Snowdon, C. T., & Zentall, T. (eds.). 2017. APA Handbook of Comparative Psychology. 2 Volumes. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

Doody, J. S., Dinets, V., & Burghardt, G. M. 2021. The Secret Social Lives of Reptiles. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD.

Warwick, C., Arena, P., & Burghardt, G. M. (eds.). 2023. Health and Welfare of Captive Reptiles (sec. ed.). Springer Nature Switzerland AG, Cham, Switzerland.

Journal Special Issues

Palagi E., & Burghardt, G. M (eds.). 2023. The Evolution and Ontogeny of play: Comparative Perspectives. International Journal of Play. https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rijp20/12/1

Schank, J., Burghardt, G. M., Palagi, E., & Pellis, S. M. (eds.). 2025. The Neurobiology of Play: Comparative and Evolutionary Perspectives. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews.  https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/10RLRDMMZH3

Journal articles

Visit Google Scholar for a rather complete list of publications (though the citation details are sometimes erroneous and difficult to correct)