When selecting species to research and compare, scientists apply many criteria like: 
- outstanding features 
- convenience
- comparison
- preservation 
- economic importance
- treatment of disease 

Criteria for Selecting Species to Study

Strategies in obtaining food correlates with brain size and function. Mammals that eat food that is more scattered around an environment (ex: fruit) tend to have larger brains than mammals who eat food that is uniformly distributed (ex: grass). In birds, novel-food seeking strategies tend to mean a larger forebrain. 

Comparing Obtaining Food Strategies

We can compare how different species exploit ecological niches, which can lead to a deeper understanding of a species evolutionary framework. Species with different histories show solutions to challenges of survival and reproduction, which can inform us about brain function. 

University of California, Davis

A unique set of environmental opportunities or challenges to which an organism is adapted. Different animals have evolved neural behaviors and mechanisms to allow them to maneuver ecological niches. 

Ecological Niche

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

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