Thus, some neuroethologists use behavioral methods only to ask profound questions about the organization of underlying neural circuits. Some use intracellular recording techniques to probe one cell at a time in some neural circuit that is involved in a particular behavior. Some use neuroanatomical techniques, some use comparative methods to look at how nervous systems differ from one species to another. Molecular methods are used to explore phylogenetic relationships. All sorts of molecular and cellular methods are used to explore neural connections and to uncover diversity and specialization of nerve cells.
Computer modeling is used to predict behavior of neural circuits.
The subjects in neuroethology are as diverse as the animal kingdom. Neuroethologists are interested in comparative aspects of behavior and in the evolution of the nervous system. The comparative method is used in many studies. A typical assemblage of neuroethologists is likely to talk about jellyfish and corals, sea squirts and sea slugs, insects and insectivores, slugs and bugs, birds and bats, frogs or toads, and even mammals. Some may be interested in behavioral processes, not a particular group, others in neural computation and algorithms, not any particular system.