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Phylogenetic context of some “reference species” that can be used in behavioral neurosciences. The figure underlines the position and phylogenetic distances of a few species in relation to each other, and suggest how this information can be used to inform the selection of organisms for research. For example, while most research in the behavioral neurosciences is performed using rodents, selecting a species from an outgroup—for example, chicks or lizards—could inform researchers on evolutionary conservation of biobehavioral traits in mammals. These informations complement the usual criteria for species choice (ease of reproduction, rapid generation time, etc.) and the availability of behavioral and physiological assays.
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