The study of the neural basis of animal behavior is known as neuroethology. It is a combination of two disciplines: neurobiology, the study of the nervous system, and ethology, the study of animal behavior. Neurobiology describes how the nervous system and its constituent cells develop and function, with an emphasis on how nerve cells generate and control behavior, whereas ethology analyzes behavior in the context of an animal's natural environment. Neuroethologists give particular focus and emphasis to investigations into the neural mechanisms underlying communication, reproduction, escape from predators, capture of prey, and other biologically important behaviors. See also: Animal communication; Behavior genetics; Ethology; Information processing (psychology); Instinctive behavior; Nervous system (invertebrate); Nervous system (vertebrate); Neurobiology; Predator-prey interactions; Reproductive behavior

Neuroethological studies have revealed an exquisitely sensitive interrelationship between sensory inputs and behavioral responses. Sense organs and their receptors detect stimuli and transmit this information via neurons to the brain, where it can be integrated with other sensory inputs to elicit appropriate behavioral responses. The behaviors are commonly critical for the survival of the animal under natural conditions. This responsive capacity requires three crucial elements: (1) A specialized sensory system that can detect and discriminate critical stimuli; examples include ears capable of hearing a specific frequency of sound emitted by a predator and delicate sensory hairs that can detect subtle air movements created by an approaching enemy. (2) Neural circuits that can interpret and process the incoming sensory signals; in vertebrates and most invertebrates, this processing occurs in the brain. (3) An adjustable motor system that can adapt quickly enough under natural conditions to execute appropriate behavioral responses important for an animal's survival. See also: Brain; Central nervous system; Motor systems; Nerve; Neuron; Perception; Sensation; Sense organ