Neurobiology of Foraging: An Integrative Approach

Foraging, defined as the search for food to sustain one's energetic needs, is a fundamental behavior performed by almost all animals to survive in their environment. Foraging involves a variety of physiological processes, including metabolic and cognitive computations. In this review, we provide a brief historical overview of foraging and foraging theory, highlight recent insights into the neural mechanisms of foraging, and contextualize them within the broader neuroscience literature. We present an integrative approach to foraging that combines neural mechanisms of foraging with ecological, behavioral, and physiological mechanisms.