A new study of side-blotched lizards in California has revealed the genetic underpinnings of altruistic behavior in this common lizard species, providing new insights into the long-standing puzzle of ...

Altruistic behavior is often seen as an exclusively human characteristic. However, behavioral research has uncovered numerous examples of altruistic behavior in the animal kingdom. In a new study, ...

Teaching: Researchers are beginning to understand altruism in new ways. This student activity highlights the real-world ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — True altruism is rare behavior in animals, but a new study by Penn State researchers has found that honey bees display this trait. Additionally, they found that an evolutionary ...

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In the proximate sense, this behavior of the ant is altruistic inasmuch that the ant is suffering a cost—death—to deliver a benefit to the parasite. However, the ant possesses no cognitive mechanisms ...

In a new study, researchers have found that mice can instinctively exhibit rescue-like behavior toward anesthetized conspecifics—without any prior training or external rewards. The study, published in ...

On the Thursday, November 13, 2025 episode of The Excerpt podcast: In honor of World Kindness Day — we’ve partnered with the Humankind team at USA TODAY for a deeper exploration on the topic of ...

We were all taught to be kind to our fellow humans. We all believe that kindness is a net positive for society as a whole. But as we go through life, we realize that there is a considerable gap ...