Primate neuroethology: a new synthesis.

Abstract

Neuroscience has probed only a sliver of the rich cognitive, emotional, and social behaviors that enable primates to thrive in the real world. Technological breakthroughs allow us to quantify these behaviors alongside wireless neural recordings. New studies reveal that neural activity is intricately bound to movement and is profoundly modulated by behavioral context, emotional states, and social dynamics. We frame our review of primate neuroethology around Niko Tinbergen's four foundational questions - function, mechanism, development, and evolution - to unify classic ethological insights with modern neuroscience tools. We demonstrate that investigating natural behavior promises deep insights into primate cognition, which are relevant for advanced brain-machine interfaces, improved therapies for neurological disorders, and deeper understanding of natural and artificial intelligence.