Historically, most empirical work has been in the area of comparative neuroanatomy; however, conceptually and theoretically the field is related to fields as diverse as comparative psychology, neuroethology, developmental neurobiology, evo-devo, behavioral ecology, anthropology and evolutionary psychology.
Historically, most empirical work has been in the area of comparative neuroanatomy, and modern studies often make use of phylogenetic comparative methods. Conceptually and theoretically, the field is related to fields as diverse as comparative psychology, neuroethology, developmental neurobiology, evo-devo, behavioral ecology, anthropology and evolutionary psychology.