Did you know that we can learn things about ourselves (humans) and our behaviour without directly studying ourselves? Scientists have for years studied all kinds of animals, to gain a better insight into their strategies for survival, both alone and together. And we are now finding out that these studies can teach us a lot about us and our world – from ecosystem functioning, to behaviour, to health.

This Collection examines what we have learned from animals, ranging from microscopic invertebrates to fish and mammals. We look in particular at what different animals can teach us about human behaviour, about how life has evolved and its diversity, and about how the ecosystem on our planet functions. We hope you enjoy reading about all the fascinating things we can learn from the animals we share out planet with!