Media tip sheet: Wildlife ecology at ESA’s 2026 Annual Meeting

Ecological Society of America

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The 2026 Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America will take place in Salt Lake City, Utah, July 26-31. Members of the press are invited to apply for complimentary press registration.

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Featured presentations at the 111th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Salt Lake City, Utah

Wildlife populations are responding to rapid environmental change in ways that can reshape ecosystems and inform conservation efforts. At this year’s Ecological Society of America (ESA) Annual Meeting (July 26–31) in Salt Lake City, Utah, researchers will present new findings on the ecological relationships between animals, their habitats and the growing influence of human activities across terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

Highlighted presentations explore topics including predator recovery, species declines, rewilding, wildlife disease, animal behavior and human-wildlife interactions. Studies examine organisms ranging from elephants, pangolins and bottlenose dolphins to loons, seabirds, suckers and urban mammals, while also addressing issues such as road mortality, habitat development, anthropogenic noise and community-based conservation. The research highlights how wildlife ecology is informing conservation strategies and improving our understanding of how animals respond to environmental change.

ESA invites staff journalists, freelance journalists, student journalists and press officers to register for free as media attendees up to and throughout the week of the Annual Meeting. For eligibility information, please visit ESA’s press registration credential policy page.

Members of the media will have access to all scientific sessions at the conference and to a press room where they can enjoy refreshments, internet access, a printer and an interview area.

Monday, July 27

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM MT	Elephant carcasses restructure soil chemistry and resistance, woody plant physiology, seedling recruitment, and herbivory across a savanna landscape Presenters: Ryan Helcoski, Utah State University; Ndzalama Mkansi, Scientific Services; Courtney G. Reed, UC Santa Barbara; Dave I. Thompson, South African Environmental Observation Network; Joshua Schimel, UC Santa Barbara; Izak Smit, Nelson Mandela University; Tercia Strydom, Scientific Services; Aimee G. Tallia, Utah State University; Deron E. Burkepile, UC Santa Barbara; Nathan P. Lemoine, Marquette University; Michelle Budny, Marquette University; Edd Hammill, Utah State University; Johan T. du Toit, Utah State University Contributed Oral Presentation
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM MT	Persistent landscape-scale aspen decline following large carnivore restoration in northern Yellowstone National Park Presenters: Dan MacNulty, Utah State University; Nicholas Bergeron, Utah State University; James A. Lutz, Utah State University; Douglas Ramsey, Utah State University; Eric Larsen, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point Contributed Oral Presentation
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM MT	Endangered suckers nearing extirpation in Upper Klamath Lake Presenters: Jacob Krause, U.S. Geological Survey; Brian Hayes, U.S. Geological Survey; Rachael Paul-Wilson, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission; Maria Dzul, U.S. Geological Survey Contributed Oral Presentation
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM MT	Six decades of monitoring provide critical context for an avian influenza outbreak in marine mammals Presenters: Esin Ickin, UC Santa Cruz; Molly H. McEntee, UC Santa Cruz; Marm Kilpatrick, UC Santa Cruz; Patrick W. Robinson, UC Santa Cruz; Zabe Premo, UC Santa Cruz; Conner M. Hale, UC Santa Cruz; Madison J. Pfau, UC Santa Cruz; Elizabeth Ashley, UC Davis; Frankie Gerraty, UC Santa Cruz; Madeline Cheu, UC Santa Cruz; Natalie A. Storm, UC Santa Cruz; Sebastian Caamaño, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, California State University; Aditi M. Jacob, UC Santa Cruz; Ali White, UC Santa Cruz; Stella Cardenas, UC Santa Cruz; Honour Dufresne, UC Santa Cruz; Amaya Espardinez, UC Santa Cruz; Hailey Hacker, UC Santa Cruz; Beatrice Hawkins, UC Santa Cruz; Madison Kranker, UC Santa Cruz; Violet Lemley, UC Santa Cruz; Kevin O’Connor, UC Santa Cruz; Sean Quigley, UC Santa Cruz; Lucas Romano, UC Santa Cruz; Isabelle Santiago, UC Santa Cruz; Brandon States, UC Santa Cruz; Kate Wang, UC Santa Cruz; Daniel P. Costa, UC Santa Cruz; Christine Johnson, UC Davis; Roxanne S. Beltran, UC Santa Cruz Contributed Poster Presentation

Tuesday, July 28

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM MT	Advancing the ecological knowledge of a soft tick vector to inform the U.S. surveillance and response plan to African swine fever emergence Presenters: Sebastian Botero-Cañola, University of Florida; Carson Torhorst, University of Florida; Nicholas Canino, University of Florida; Kathleen C. O’Hara, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; Angela M. James, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; Samantha Wisely, University of Florida Contributed Oral Presentation
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM MT	Pronounced post-COVID-19 decline in sale and usage of medicinal pangolin products in China Presenters: Timothy C. Bonebrake, University of Hong Kong; Yifu Wang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Contributed Oral Presentation
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM MT	Responses of African savanna trees to large herbivore extinction and rewilding Presenters: Tyler C. Coverdale, University of Notre Dame; Mahesh Sankaran, National Centre for Biological Sciences; Andrew Davies, Harvard University, Jayashree Ratnam, National Centre for Biological Sciences; Benjamin Wigley, University of Bayreuth; David J. Augustine, USDA-ARS Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit Contributed Oral Presentation
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM MT	Cat(ch) ‘meow’tside how ’bout that: The impacts of domestic cats and dogs on urban mammal spatiotemporal behavior Presenters: Austin M. Green, University of Utah; Chloe Horn, University of Utah; Kent Wu, Central Wasatch Commission; Rachael Berghahn, University of Utah Contributed Oral Presentation
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM MT	Marine-derived nitrogen deposition from salmon carcasses in coastal temperate rainforests shapes soil microbial community composition Presenter: Caroline Daws, Outer Coast Contributed Poster Presentation

Wednesday, July 29

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM MT	Estimating Annual Large Mammal Roadkill for California Presenters: Lorna Haworth, UC Davis; Alice Michel, UC Davis; Benjamin Hodgson, UC Davis; Fraser Shilling, UC Davis Contributed Oral Presentation
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM MT	Accelerometry and animal-borne video reveals the importance of aerial capture of flying fish and predator facilitation interactions to red-footed boobies. Presenters: Abigail Schiffmiller, University of Alaska, Fairbanks; Greg Breed, University of Alaska, Fairbanks; Hillary Young, UC Santa Barbara; Scott Shaffer, San Jose State University; Sara Maxwell, University of Washington Bothell Contributed Oral Presentation
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM MT	Functional Roles of the World’s Recovered Predators Presenters: Ishana Shukla, UC Davis; Julia D. Monk, New York University; Justine Smith, UC Davis Contributed Oral Presentation
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM MT	From the Ground Up: Community-Powered Wildlife Conservation in Utah and Abroad Presenters: Austin Green, University of Utah; Julie Young, Utah State University; Gaby Karakcheyeva, University of Utah; Ilina Mocuta, University of Utah; Emmanuel Santa Martinez, Salt Lake Community College; Frances Ngo, Sageland Collaborative; Kaylee Meyers, University of Utah       Symposium
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM MT	Evaluating Camera Traps and Field Surveys for Monitoring Herpetofauna in the Civilian Control Zone, South Korea Presenters: Jiyeon Cheon, Transboundary Ecological Research Institute; Jihu Koo, DMZ Ecology Research Institute; Chloe Jun, DMZ Ecology Research Institute; Yune Hur, DMZ Ecology Research Institute; Jason Chung, DMZ Ecology Research Institute; Hailey Cho, DMZ Ecology Research Institute; Zoe Chang, DMZ Ecology Research Institute; Jae Hyun Kim, Transboundary Ecological Research Institute; Seung Ho Kim, DMZ Ecology Research Institute Contributed Poster Presentation
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM MT	Global Patterns of Decline in the World’s Avian Functional Guilds Presenters: Nikolas D. Orton, University of Utah; Cagan H. Sekercioglu, University of Utah Contributed Poster Presentation
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM MT	Some like it hot: Miami’s urban heat island aids the spread of its most prolific non-native lizards Presenters: Elizabeth A. Afkhami Searcy, University of Miami; Dishane Hewavithana, Florida International University; Kathryn A. Afkhami Searcy, Miami Dade School District; Michelle E. Afkhami, University of Miami; Christopher A. Searcy, University of Miami Contributed Poster Presentation

Thursday, July 30

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM MT	Common loons breed on lakes with shoreline development similar to where they were born Presenters: Emily F. Renkey, UC Los Angeles; Katie A. Adler, UC Los Angeles; Daniel T. Blumstein, UC Los Angeles; Walter Piper, Chapman University Contributed Oral Presentation
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM MT	Cascading effects of anthropogenic noise and heat on avian foraging and parenting behavior in California vineyards Presenters: Karen V. Gallardo Cruz, UC Davis; Gail L. Patricelli, UC Davis; Tara Robey, UC Davis; Erin Wilson-Rankin, UC Riverside; Houston Wilson, UC Riverside; Matthew Johnson, Cal Poly Humboldt; Daniel S. Karp, UC Davis Contributed Oral Presentation
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM MT	A quarter century on the edge: Spatiotemporal dynamics, risk patterns, and impacts of human-wildlife conflict in Chitwan National Park, Nepal Presenters: Abhinaya Pathak, UC San Diego Contributed Oral Presentation
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM MT	Shipside Feeding in Bottlenose Dolphins: Quantifying the Behavioral Mechanisms of a Novel Foraging Strategy Presenters: Christina Deaver, Utah Valley University; Marie Taylor, Utah Valley University; Meghan Weinpress-Galipeau, South Carolina Aquarium; Madeline Fry, Utah Valley University; Hannah Bouchillon, South Carolina Aquarium; Patricia A. Fair, Medical University of South Carolina; Jessica A. Cusick, Utah Valley University Latebreaking Poster Presentation
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM MT	Beaver Fever: Giardia duodenalis in North American Beavers (Castor canadensis) Located in Utah Presenters: Elena B. Green, Utah State University; Sara B. Weinstein, Utah State University Latebreaking Poster Presentation

 

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Learn more about the upcoming ESA Annual Meeting, July 26–31, on the meeting website.

ESA invites press and institutional public information officers to attend for free. To register, please contact ESA Public Affairs Manager Mayda Nathan directly at mayda@esa.org.

The Ecological Society of America, founded in 1915, is the world’s largest community of professional ecologists and a trusted source of ecological knowledge, committed to advancing the understanding of life on Earth. The 8,000 member Society publishes six journals and a membership bulletin and broadly shares ecological information through policy, media outreach, and education initiatives. The Society’s Annual Meeting attracts 4,000 attendees and features the most recent advances in ecological science. Visit the ESA website at https://www.esa.org.

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For biodiversity to thrive across Europe, laws should treat wildlife as individuals capable of suffering – experts argue

Comprehensive legal analysis reveals “failures” in wildlife protection laws, which, researchers state, threaten biodiversity despite ambitious conservation frameworks

Taylor & Francis Group

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Wildlife protection frameworks in both the EU and the UK need stronger and more consistent implementation – and must recognise animals as “individuals capable of experiencing suffering”, rather than mere ecological assets.

This is the argument from authors of a new peer-reviewed study, which, in providing the first comprehensive comparative examination of EU and UK wildlife legislation in the post-Brexit era, exposes a disconnect between ambitious policy goals and practical implementation.

The research team, environmental lawyers Dr Caroline Cox and Dr Meganne Natali of the University of Portsmouth, reveal significant shortcomings in wildlife protection frameworks across Europe and the United Kingdom, despite decades of legislative development and billions in conservation investment.

Their article is published today in the Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy.

“Our study finds that while both the EU and the UK have developed complex legal structures for wildlife protection, neither system delivers a coherent or fully effective framework,” Drs Cox and Natali explain.

“In the EU, wildlife protection remains fragmented, selective, and exception-based, with species safeguarded only when expressly listed and protection frequently weakened through exception that allows a national, local or regional administration in an EU member state to deviate from a given regulation (derogations) and political compromise.

“In the UK, outdated legislation and weak enforcement further undermine conservation outcomes.”
 

Key findings

European Union framework under scrutiny

The research identifies fundamental contradictions within the EU's wildlife protection system, despite its reputation as one of the world's most comprehensive:

• Only 16% of habitats listed under the Habitats Directive (an EU environmental legislation designed to protect endangered species and habitats) are currently in “favourable condition”
• 53% of bird species assessed between 2013-2018 showed “unfavourable conservation status” (when a species or habitat is not considered to be in a healthy, secure, and sustainable condition for the long term).
• The EU's protection system operates through "exceptions rather than universality," (the way in which EU wildlife laws protects only selected species and habitats, rather than providing protection to wildlife generally) leaving countless species without legal recognition.

UK post-Brexit challenges

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Britain's cornerstone wildlife legislation, faces mounting criticism:

• Nearly one in six of the UK's 10,000+ surveyed species risk extinction
• Only 14% of important wildlife habitats are in good condition
• Wildlife crime conviction rates remain significantly below average for all crimes
• The Act's five-yearly review system leaves species vulnerable to political shifts and ministerial priorities

An anthropocentric logic

A key problem baked into both of the frameworks is a certain anthropocentric logic, the paper claims. Under this, wildlife is protected because of its value to humans—for example, via ecological services, agricultural balance or landscape aesthetics—rather than for the wildlife themselves.

“Even where animal sentience is recognised at treaty level,” the authors note, such as in EU primary law and the UK’s Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022, “this recognition has not been operationalised within biodiversity law.”

According to the lawyers, the benefit of environmental protections regarding wild animals specifically as sentient beings is that it introduces ‘ethical continuity’ into the legal framework; at present, protection is all too conditional and reversible.

“Species are protected when they serve ecosystem functions of policy objectives—and downgraded when they become politically inconvenient," the authors add.

The European Wolf controversy highlights a “fragile” protection system

This impermanence is exemplified by the EU’s 2024 decision to downgrade the protection status of wolves from ‘strictly protected’ to ‘protected’, granting greater flexibility in the management of wolf populations, including via culling.

This move has been framed as a response to increasing wolf populations across Europe, and a corresponding increase in conflicts with farmers and hunters.

Although the wolf has been a significant conservation achievement for the EU—with numbers having increased by nearly 60% in a decade—studies have cautioned that wolves have not yet achieved the benchmark of a genuinely favourable conservation status.

Furthermore, Cox and Natali note, the European Commission’s prior analysis in 2023 did not support a reduction in the protection level; it also acknowledged that coexistence measures are more effective at protecting livestock from wolves than culling.

The decision to downgrade the protection of wolves, the authors note, was also “marred by procedural shortcomings”, including a restricted public consultation and a lack of transparency around data on livestock losses and wolf behavior; accompanied by pressure from agricultural and hunting lobbying groups; and surrounded by controversy as to whether the predation of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s pony by wolves influenced the policy shift.

“The wolf downgrade demonstrates how fragile protection can become under pressure,” the researchers note.

Another issue in the EU is that wildlife law only protects those species that are explicitly listed in the annexes of the Habitats and Birds Directive – based on scientific assessments of rarity, conservation status and ecological value at the time of drafting.

“Species outside the annexes receive little to no protection,” Dr Natali says.

“Member States can technically comply while limiting the practical scope of conservation. The result is a framework that appears harmonised, but in reality remains fragile and uneven in application.”
 

Tightening regimes for greater protection

As for how they would like to see protection frameworks improved in both the EU and the UK, Cox and Natali highlight three areas for improvement.

“First, derogation regimes must be tightened,” they say. “Protection cannot remain structurally dependent on broad ‘overriding public interest’ clauses.”

Secondly, the enforcement of protective measures must be strengthened. As the researchers note: “Legal ambition without monitoring and prosecutorial follow-through produces symbolic protection.”

The third would include enhanced cooperation and coexistence-based approaches. “We advocate stronger cross-border cooperation, better integration of wildlife conservation across policy sectors, and the promotion of human–wildlife coexistence strategies rather than conflict-based management,” Dr Natali adds.

Implications for global conservation

The study's findings extend beyond Europe, offering lessons for wildlife governance worldwide. As biodiversity loss accelerates globally, the research underscores the urgent need for legal frameworks that balance human interests with ecological integrity and ethical responsibility.

The research team argue that wildlife law must place animal sentience at the heart of conservation frameworks.

“Without that integration, biodiversity law remains ethically incomplete and politically unstable.

“The true measure of environmental law lies not only in its capacity to preserve species, but in its willingness to govern our shared landscapes with justice, empathy, and foresight,” the authors conclude.

With their initial study complete, the researchers are now moving to develop practical recommendations for implementing improvements to existing wildlife protections – examining how these laws could integrate sentience recognition without collapsing into pure welfare regulation – aiming for a coexistence-based framework that bridges biodiversity governance and animal law.

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Journal

Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy

DOI

10.1080/13880292.2025.2619363 

Method of Research

Observational study

Article Title

Protecting Wildlife in Europe: A Comprehensive Analysis of Legislative Frameworks and Their Shortcomings

Article Publication Date

17-Jul-2026

Biodiversity delivers the largest productivity gains under extreme drought in drier grasslands

During years of extreme drought, drier grasslands showed the strongest positive effects of biodiversity on productivity

Yokohama National University

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Summary of the main findings from 75 global biodiversity experiments. Biodiversity effects on productivity were strongest under extreme drought in more-arid grasslands, driven by increased complementarity, whereas comparable context dependence was not detected in forests or under heat extremes.

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Credit: YOKOHAMA National University

Biodiversity does not enhance ecosystem productivity equally across all ecosystems under climate extremes. During years of extreme drought, drier grasslands showed the strongest positive effects of biodiversity on productivity.

When extreme drought strikes, drier grasslands receive the greatest productivity benefit from biodiversity. By contrast, forests did not show the same context-dependent pattern under drought, according to a new global synthesis of 75 biodiversity experiments. Researchers from YOKOHAMA National University published their results in Nature Ecology & Evolution on July 15.

Biodiversity has been studied long before it got its catchy name, though fully exploring all it entails is a never-ending process. Through other studies, it has already been established that biodiversity plays a significant role in an ecosystem’s productivity. What is lesser known is where this biodiversity matters most when climate extremes are taking their toll.

“Our ultimate goal is to move away from a broad ecological insight to a practical basis for climate adaptation,” said Takehiro Sasaki, professor of the Faculty of Environment and Information Sciences at YOKOHAMA National University and first author of the study.

With intense heat waves and droughts becoming more commonplace, this question becomes a crucial one in the space of climate science. A global synthesis of 75 biodiversity experiments sought to answer this question, along with whether these benefits persist, weaken or intensify under times of drought or extreme heat, and if the benefits of biodiversity apply equally to different ecosystems.

In more-arid grasslands, plant diversity had its strongest positive effect on productivity during years of extreme drought. This effect was driven mainly by stronger complementarity among species, consistent with species contributing in more functionally distinct and/or mutually supportive ways under water limitation. In less-arid grasslands, by contrast, drought was associated with stronger selection effects, indicating a greater contribution from a few highly productive species.

Forests did not show comparable context dependence under extreme drought, although this does not mean that biodiversity is unimportant in forests. Heat extremes likewise did not produce clear context-dependent changes in biodiversity effects across ecosystem types or aridity gradients. Across both grasslands and forests, soil nutrient conditions did not detectably modify biodiversity effects under either drought or heat extremes, suggesting that water limitation may become a more important constraint on productivity than soil nutrient supply as climatic stress intensifies.

The study synthesized data from 75 biodiversity experiments in grasslands and forests spanning broad climatic gradients, with experiment durations ranging from 2 to 23 years. These data were linked to long-term daily precipitation and maximum-temperature records, as well as site-level aridity and soil data. The analysis assessed whether aridity and soil nutrient conditions modified biodiversity effects under drought and heat extremes

Results show that biodiversity effects on productivity were strongest under extreme drought in drier grasslands, whereas forests show no comparable context dependence under the same conditions.

Further exploration to fully unpack the question of where biodiversity is going to make the biggest difference when climate extremes hit is necessary. Researchers hope to improve their forest evidence by increasing the duration of studies, improving more sensitive indicators of drought for forest ecosystems, in addition to testing whether the effects of biodiversity are slower to emerge in forests than in grasslands. Looking into the tree health indicators and the crown condition of forests years after extreme climatic anomalies might be better indicators of the ecosystem’s health and the weight the biodiversity of the forest carries.

Another goal of this research is to make the science more predictive for use in geographical blind spots in biodiversity experiments. This type of insight would help prepare ecosystems to better adapt to a warming climate, and ideally make conservation efforts a top priority when it comes to preserving the varied environments present on this planet.

Takehiro Sasaki, affiliated with both the Graduate School of Environment and Information Science and the Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences at YOKOHAMA National University, together with Yuki Iwachido of the Graduate School of Environment and Information Science and Nico Eisenhauer of the Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences at YOKOHAMA National University, contributed to this research.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, Tottori University, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, NSF Biodiversity on a Changing Planet Program and NSF Long-Term Ecological Research Prgroam, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia, Swiss National Science Foundation, Margarete-von-Wrangell Fellowship of the Ministry of Science, Research and Arts Baden-Wurttemberg and the European Social Fund, NSF Awards, NSERC DG grant, EXCELLENTIA project, the German Research Foundation, Swedish Research Council Formas and the Agence Nationale de la Recherche made this research possible.

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YOKOHAMA National University (YNU) is a leading research university dedicated to academic excellence and global collaboration. Its faculties and research institutes lead efforts in pioneering new academic fields, advancing research in artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum information, semiconductor innovation, energy, biotechnology, ecosystems, and smart city development. Through interdisciplinary research and international partnerships, YNU drives innovation and contributes to global societal advancement.

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Journal

Nature Ecology & Evolution

DOI

10.1038/s41559-026-03130-1 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Article Title

Biodiversity effects under climate extremes intensify with aridity in grasslands but not forests

Article Publication Date

15-Jul-2026

 

What animals do before going to war

Cell Press

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A group of meerkats standing together in the face of an outside threat.

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Credit: Andy Radford, University of Bristol

Social animals use a suite of preemptive behaviors in anticipation of conflict, including staying quiet, monitoring their surroundings, conducting raids, and bonding through play. In a review publishing in the Cell Press journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution on July 16, researchers describe how environmental cues and memories of past events can trigger these behaviors. Over generations, these pre-war preparations could impact socio-cognitive evolution, population dynamics, and community structures. 

“Intergroup conflict is rife throughout the natural world, being found in social species from ants to primates,” says corresponding author Andrew Radford of the University of Bristol in the UK.  

Conflict over resources such as territory space, food, or mating exerts a powerful evolutionary force on social species, potentially impacting fitness and survival, say the researchers. Traditionally, research has focused on actions between rival groups during contests and the behavioral consequences afterward. But evolution can also select for preemptive behaviors that maximize the chances of winning in a conflict.  

“What is becoming very clear is that preemptive behavior is widespread whenever intergroup conflict is found,” says first author Josh Arbon of the University of Bristol. “There is growing evidence that the amount of anticipatory behavior displayed is dependent on the current threat level. More is seen when rivals are more likely to be encountered, larger in size, less familiar, or more likely to attack.” 

Humans have long been known to prepare for warfare by increasing surveillance, using elevated areas to gather information, conducting ambushes and raids, and moving quietly through enemy territory to avoid detection. Recent studies of wild animals provide similar examples of preparation for encounters with rival groups. 

“Studying other species experimentally and in natural conditions can not only expand our understanding of a widespread aspect of sociality but also help to provide insights into our own conflict ancestry,” Radford says. 

Observations of chimpanzees have revealed that groups tend to rest on hilltops in areas where intergroup contests occur rather than engage in noisier activities such as feeding or traveling. In addition, experiments have shown that dwarf mongooses respond to olfactory or vocal cues of rivals by moving more slowly and engaging in sentinel behaviors, which allow them to monitor their surroundings more easily. 

The threat of intergroup conflict can also influence the space-use patterns of animals. To signal territorial ownership, dwarf mongooses deposit more scent marks in response to simulated rival intrusions, and meerkats tend to scent mark near burrows examined by intruders. Similarly, black howler monkeys return to locations of past contests, potentially to advertise their presence to neighbors. By contrast, Japanese macaques, chacma baboons, and long-tailed tits avoid areas inhabited by rivals. 

Beyond space-use patterns within a commonly used area, a more extreme preemptive behavior is raiding—actively seeking out rivals on their home turf. For example, male chimpanzees silently invade neighboring territories in single file and move toward other groups’ vocalizations, apparently preparing to attack rivals. Banded mongooses also engage in lethal gang attacks, conducting raids to kill the offspring of rival groups. 

When the threat from outsiders is greater, various mammal species stay closer to one another. For instance, chimpanzees groom and play with one another more in advance of collective territory defense. Such behaviors likely facilitate communication, reduce anxiety, enhance bonding, and promote a stronger fighting force. 

“There is increasing evidence that non-human animals adjust various behaviors to enhance information gathering, incentivize contest participation, reduce anxiety, and minimize collective and individual risk in anticipation of encounters with rival groups,” Arbon says. “What is notable is that these behaviors occur across a diverse range of social species.” 

According to the authors, questions for future research include examining how animals assess the intergroup threat level and adjust their preemptive behavior accordingly. The cognitive demands associated with preemptive actions also remain unclear. These responses are shaped by multiple interacting factors, including sensed information and memories of past encounters. 

“Intergroup conflict could be an important social driver of cognitive evolution,” Radford says. “But this remains an idea that is difficult to test, and teasing apart the relative importance of signals and cues from memories is a challenge.” 

“To understand fully the influence and importance of intergroup conflict, including for our own evolution, we must study the complete timeline of behaviors, not just those during and after contests but also those that occur in anticipation,” Arbon says. 

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This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council.  

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Arbon & Radford, “Pre-emptive behavior in a landscape of intergroup conflict” https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(26)00145-X 

Trends in Ecology & Evolution (@Trends_Ecol_Evo), published by Cell Press, is a monthly review journal that contains polished, concise, and readable reviews and opinion pieces in all areas of ecology and evolutionary science. It aims to keep scientists informed of new developments and ideas across the full range of ecology and evolutionary biology—from the pure to the applied, and from molecular to global. Visit http://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution. To receive Cell Press media alerts, please contact press@cell.com.  

A meerkat acting as a sentinel (raised guard) to gather information about potential threats.

Credit

Andy Radford, University of Bristol

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Journal

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

DOI

10.1016/j.tree.2026.06.002 

Method of Research

Systematic review

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Pre-emptive behavior in a landscape of intergroup conflict

Article Publication Date

16-Jul-2026