Understanding behaviour: the relevance of ethological approaches in laboratory animal science I. Anna S. Olsson a,* , Charlotte M. Nevison b,1 , Emily G. Patterson-Kane c,2 , Chris M. Sherwin d , Heleen A. Van de Weerd e , Hanno Wu ¨rbel f,3 a Animal Facility, Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Porto, Portugal b Animal Behaviour Group, Veterinary Clinical Science and Animal Husbandry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK c Animal Welfare Program, Agricultural Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada d Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, Centre for Behavioural Biology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK e Department of Agriculture, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK f Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Zu ¨rich, Zu ¨rich, Switzerland Abstract Applied ethology has traditionally focused on farm animal species, whereas there has been much less research directed at understanding the behaviour of laboratory animals in relation to their use as models in research. In this paper, we identify four areas in which ethological approaches could help improve the welfare of laboratory rodents while at the same time enhancing the validity of research based on them. These areas are: (1) the effects of selective breeding and gene manipulations on the animals’ ability to cope with the laboratory environment; (2) the effects of barren housing conditions on behaviour and the mechanisms underlying normal control of behaviour; (3) the sensory perception of the laboratory environment by the animals; and (4) the applicability of standard behavioural tests and the potential for improving them by taking animals’ species-specific characteristics into account. Given the current increase in the use of rodents in the life sciences, these four areas represent promising areas of future research in applied animal behaviour science. # 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Laboratory rodents; Welfare; Housing; Environmental enrichment; Behavioural genetics; Sensory perception Applied Animal Behaviour Science 81 (2003) 245–264 * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ351-226-074-900; fax: þ351-226-099-157. E-mail address: olsson@ibmc.up.pt (I.A.S. Olsson). 1 Department of Animal Studies, Myerscough College, Bilsbarrow, Lancashire, UK. 2 Present address: Scottish Agricultural College, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK. 3 Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Jutus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany. 0168-1591/03/$ – see front matter # 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/S0168-1591(02)00285-X