Reconsidering the Subject and Object of Comparative Cognition

This article examines interrelated issues of the subject and object of comparative cognition.First, we discuss field's focus on a limited selection of subjects; rodents and primates are common, whereas taxa outside of mammals and birds are rare.We suggest new directions for a more comparative approach.Second, we discuss an epistemological view of cognition that helps discern behavioral observations from cognitive inferences and promotes a clearer, less anthropocentric approach vital for studying underrepresented taxa and enhancing species diversity.