Researcher
Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms Department
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
Villa Comunale
80121 Napoli - Italia
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Bluesky: @pieroamodio.bsky.social
Insta: @piero__amodio
Google scholar: https://scholar.google.it/citations?user=PVY4WL4AAAAJ&hl=it
ERC sector:Behavioural ecology and evolution (LS8_11); Cognitive basis of human development, developmental disorders; comparative cognition (SH4_1)
Scientific-disciplinary sector: Zoologia (BIO/05)
Research Interests
My research focuses on the study of behaviour and cognition in non-human animals. I have a special interest towards marine organisms and in particular, the cephalopods, a class of molluscs that evolved complex nervous systems and striking behavioural repertoires. Through both, experiments in the lab and observations in the wild, I aim at characterizing behavioural flexibility in octopus and at investigating the role played by biological and socio-ecological factors in cephalopods’ cognitive evolution. This research has the potential to foster a more nuanced view on animal intelligence and cognitive evolution, thereby inspiring concrete actions in terms of ethical treatment and conservation of marine invertebrates.
Since 2019 I am a National Geographic Explorer.
Selected Publications
Sampaio E, Schnell AK & Amodio P (2025). Cognition in multi-species sociality. Current Biology, 35(4) R132-R136. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.01.012
Amodio P, Josef N, Shashar N, & Fiorito G (2021). Bipedal locomotion in Octopus vulgaris: a complementary observation and some preliminary considerations. Ecology and Evolution, 11:3679- 3684. Doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7328
Schnell AK, Amodio P, Boeckle M, & Clayton NS (2021). How intelligent is a cephalopod? Lessons from comparative cognition. Biological Reviews, 96: 162-178. Doi.org/10.1111/brv.12651
Amodio P, Boeckle M, Schnell AK, Ostojić L, Fiorito G, & Clayton NS (2019). Grow Smart and Die Young: Why Did Cephalopods Evolve Intelligence? Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 34: 45-56. Doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2018.10.010.
Josef N, Amodio P, Fiorito G, & Shashar N (2012). Camouflaging in a Complex Environment. Octopuses Use Specific Features of Their Surroundings for Background Matching. PloS ONE, 7:e37579. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0037579
