2026 Gordon M. Burghardt: Ecology and Evolution Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Ecology and Evolution	66	1712	1636	626	589	250	13543

Gordon M. Burghardt publication distribution in Ecology and Evolution in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Ecology and Evolution in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Gordon M. Burghardt sits on this spectrum.

37 publications 531+

This scientist: 250 publications — 85th percentile

85% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 531 publications or more.

Gordon M. Burghardt D-index placement in Ecology and Evolution in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Ecology and Evolution scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Gordon M. Burghardt sits on this spectrum.

30 D-Index 121+

This scientist: 66 D-Index — 80th percentile

80% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 121 D-Index or more.

Research.com Recognitions

1996 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
1983 - Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA)
1976 - Fellow of John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

Overview

Gordon M. Burghardt is affiliated with the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in the United States. Their research mainly focuses on Psychology, with a particular emphasis on Social Psychology, Genetics, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, and studies involving Small Animals and broader Ecology.

The research topics cover several key areas related to animal and human behavior, including:

Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
Primate behavior and ecology
Human-animal interaction studies
Animal behavior and welfare studies
Animal behavior and reproduction
Wildlife ecology and conservation
Animal vocal communication and behavior

Recent publications authored by them include:

Insights found in century-old writings on animal behaviour and some cautions for today, 2020, Animal Behaviour
Animal play and evolution: Seven timely research issues about enigmatic phenomena, 2024, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
Chemically mediated self-recognition in sibling juvenile common gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) reared on same or different diets: evidence for a chemical mirror?, 2021, Behaviour

Other notable publications in the field where Gordon M. Burghardt is not the first author but relevant include:

Comparing the ontogeny, neurobiology, and function of social play in hamsters and rats, 2023, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
A review of interspecific social play among nonhuman animals, 2023, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

The scientist frequently collaborates with several co-authors, with whom multiple papers have been published. These co-authors include:

Adam M. Partin (4 publications)
Elisabetta Palagi (3 publications)
Cary M. Springer (3 publications)
Matthew A. Cooper (2 publications)
Conner J. Whitten (2 publications)

Publications by this researcher are often featured in several academic journals, with the most frequent venues being:

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (4 publications)
International Journal of Play (3 publications)
Diversity (2 publications)
Animals (2 publications)
Animal Sentience (2 publications)

Over the course of their career, Gordon M. Burghardt has been recognized with several fellowships including:

Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 1996
Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), 1983
Fellow of John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, 1976

Best Publications

The Genesis of Animal Play: Testing the Limits

Gordon M. Burghardt

1387
Citations
Chemical Perception in Reptiles

Gordon M. Burghardt

487
Citations
Animal awareness: Current perceptions and historical perspective.

Gordon M. Burghardt

378
Citations
Current Perspectives on the Biological Study of Play: Signs of Progress

Kerrie Lewis Graham;Gordon M. Burghardt

282
Citations
A comparative analysis of scoring methods for chemical discrimination of prey by squamate reptiles.

William E. Cooper;Gordon M. Burghardt

243
Citations
Environmental enrichment and cognitive complexity in reptiles and amphibians: Concepts, review, and implications for captive populations

Gordon M. Burghardt

235
Citations
Rough-and-tumble play as a window on animal communication

Elisabetta Palagi;Gordon M. Burghardt;Barbara Smuts;Giada Cordoni

219
Citations
Cognitive Ethology and Critical Anthropomorphism: A Snake with Two Heads and Hog-Nose Snakes That Play Dead

Gordon M. Burghardt

219
Citations
The Development of Behavior: Comparative and Evolutionary Aspects

Gordon Burghardt;M. Bekoff

205
Citations
Behavior and phylogeny: constriction in ancient and modern snakes

Harry W. Greene;Gordon M. Burghardt

199
Citations
Chemical-cue preferences of inexperienced snakes: comparative aspects.

Gordon M. Burghardt

197
Citations
Synthetic ethology and the evolution of cooperative communication

Bruce J. MacLennan;Gordon M. Burghardt

186
Citations
Breaking the Social–Non‐social Dichotomy: A Role for Reptiles in Vertebrate Social Behavior Research?

J. Sean Doody;Gordon M. Burghardt;Vladimir Dinets

177
Citations
Instinct and innate behavior: Toward an ethological psychology.

Gordon M. Burghardt

176
Citations
Comparative Prey-Attack Studies in Newborn Snakes of the Genus Thamnophis

Gordon M. Burghardt

173
Citations
Food Imprinting in the Snapping Turtle, Chelydra serpentina

Gordon M. Burghardt;Eckhard H. Hess

167
Citations
Attitudes Toward Animals: Origins and Diversity

Harold A. Herzog;Gordon M. Burghardt

160
Citations
Behavioral and Stimulus Correlates of Vomeronasal Functioning in Reptiles: Feeding, Grouping, Sex, and Tongue Use

Gordon M. Burghardt

159
Citations
The Genesis of Animal Play

Gordon Burghardt

158
Citations
Beyond Conspecifics: Is Brer Rabbit Our Brother?

Gordon M. Burghardt;Harold A. Herzog

153
Citations
The evolutionary origins of play revisited: lessons from turtles

Gordon M. Burghardt

153
Citations
Dietary sequestration of defensive steroids in nuchal glands of the Asian snake Rhabdophis tigrinus

Deborah A. Hutchinson;Akira Mori;Alan H. Savitzky;Gordon M. Burghardt

150
Citations
Sequestered defensive toxins in tetrapod vertebrates: principles, patterns, and prospects for future studies

Alan H. Savitzky;Akira Mori;Deborah A. Hutchinson;Ralph A. Saporito

144
Citations
Vomerolfaction and vomodor.

William E. Cooper;Gordon M. Burghardt

143
Citations
Foundations of comparative ethology

Gordon M. Burghardt

142
Citations
Iguanas of the World. Their Behavior, Ecology and Conservation

Eric R. Pianka;G. M. Burghardt;A. S. Rand

17
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Harold A. Herzog Western Carolina University

Jerrold Meinwald Cornell University

Frank C. Schroeder Boyce Thompson Institute

Sergio M. Pellis University of Lethbridge

Indrikis Krams University of Latvia

A. Stanley Rand Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Harry W. Greene Cornell University

William E. Cooper Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne

Benjamin M. Fitzpatrick University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Gary F. McCracken University of Tennessee at Knoxville

External Links

Personal website of Gordon M. Burghardt

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Exploring Ecology and Evolution often opens up diverse academic and professional routes. For those interested in how environmental systems intersect with human well-being, earning a human services degree online can offer pathways into roles supporting communities through environmental change.

Career flexibility is another key advantage. For example, individuals with an education background might consider a new direction by learning can you become a speech pathologist with an education degree—a transition that combines educational knowledge with communication sciences.

Ecology and Evolution studies often overlap with other domains. Design-minded students could pursue an architecture online degree to integrate sustainability and environmental design. Strong analytical skills developed in ecology can also translate well to earning an online math bachelor's degree, providing a foundation for quantitative research and data-intensive careers.

These related online programs expand your professional opportunities while allowing you to tailor your education according to your evolving interests in science, society, and beyond.