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| Author | Kaiser, S.; Hennessy, M.B.; Sachser, N. | ||||
| Title | Domestication affects the structure, development and stability of biobehavioural profiles | Type | Journal Article | ||
| Year | 2015 | Publication | Frontiers in Zoology | Abbreviated Journal | |
| Volume | 12 | Issue | 1 | Pages | 1-11 |
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Abstract  |
Domestication is an evolutionary process during which the biobehavioural profile (comprising e.g. social and emotional behaviour, cognitive abilities, as well as hormonal stress responses) is substantially reshaped. Using a comparative approach, and focusing mainly on the domestic and wild guinea pig, an established model system for the study of domestication, we review (a) how wild and domestic animals of the same species differ in behaviour, emotion, cognition, and hormonal stress responses, (b) during which phases of life differences in biobehavioural profiles emerge and (c) whether or not animal personalities exist in both the wild and domestic form. Concerning (a), typical changes with domestication include increased courtship, sociopositive and maternal behaviours as well as decreased aggression and attentive behaviour. In addition, domestic animals display more anxiety-like and less risk-taking and exploratory behaviour than the wild form and they show distinctly lower endocrine stress responsiveness. There are no indications, however, that domestic animals have diminished cognitive abilities relative to the wild form. The different biobehavioural profiles of the wild and domestic animals can be regarded as adaptations to the different environmental conditions under which they live, i.e., the natural habitat and artificial man-made housing conditions, respectively. Concerning (b), the comparison of infantile, adolescent and adult wild and domestic guinea pigs shows that the typical biobehavioural profile of the domestic form is already present during early phases of life, that is, during early adolescence and weaning. Thus, differences between the domestic and the wild form can be attributed to genetic alterations resulting from artificial selection, and likely to environmental influences during the pre- and perinatal phase. Interestingly, the frequency of play behaviour does not differ between the domestic and wild form early in life, but is significantly higher in domesticated guinea pigs at later ages. Concerning (c), there is some evidence that personalities occur in both wild and domestic animals. However, there may be differences in which behavioural domains – social and sexual behaviour, emotionality, stress-responsiveness – are consistent over time. These differences are probably due to changing selection pressures during domestication. | ||||
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| ISSN | 1742-9994 | ISBN | Medium | ||
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| Notes | Approved | no | |||
| Call Number | Equine Behaviour @ team @ Kaiser2015 | Serial | 5975 | ||
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| Author | VanDierendonck, M.C., de Vries, H., Schilder, M.B.H. | ||||
| Title | An Analysis of Dominance, Its Behavioural Parameters and Possible Determinants in a Herd of Icelandic horses in captivity | Type | Journal Article | ||
| Year | 1995 | Publication | Netherlands Journal of Zoology | Abbreviated Journal | Netherl. J. Zool. |
| Volume | 45 | Issue | 3-4 | Pages | 362-385 |
| Keywords | Dominance; rank order; horses; Icelandic horses. | ||||
| Abstract |
Feral horses are social animals, which have to rely on survival strategies centered on the formation of cohesive social bonds within their bands. Many problems in the husbandry of social animals such as horses, are due to the fact that the limits of their adaptive abilities are exceeded. Evidence suggests that the fundamental social characteristics of domestic horses have remained relatively unchanged. The social structure, social strategies and social interactions were investigated (3 non-consecutive years, 24 hr per day for several weeks) in long term established groups of domestic horses (mares and geldings of all ages) and a few small introduced groups, kept in (semi)natural environments. The general aim was to investigate the social needs of domestic horses. The social life of domestic horses was characterised by long lasting bonds with preferred partners which were established and maintained by allogrooming, play, proximity and dominance behaviours. Bonding partners were mainly found within the same sex-age group, but adult geldings also bonded with sub-adult mares and geldings. Adult mares were clustered in a group, while the other animals formed a second group. Among the adult mares, subgroups according to reproductive state were formed. Individuals regulated their social network by interfering with interactions between other members of the herd, which in itself is complex. An intervention is a behavioural action of one animal that actively interferes with an ongoing interaction between a dyad with the apparent aim of altering that interaction. This was verified by post-hoc analyses of disturbed and undisturbed interactions. Interventions in allogrooming or play were performed significantly more often when at least one member of the initial dyad was a preferred partner of, or familiar to (within the small introduced bands) the intervener. The stronger the preferred association in allogrooming between the intervener and member(s) of the initial dyad, the higher the probability the intervener would displace one initial member and continue allogrooming with the other. Just five behaviours were extracted which reliably reflected the dominance relations among horses. Aggression with the hind quarters was used both offensively and defensively and therefore not suitable as a reliable parameter. Individual dominance relationships were related to social experience. The implications of these findings for horse husbandry were assessed. It is argued that the execution of affiliative behaviours may be rewarding in itself, and therefore always will be a highly motivated behaviour. It is shown that social positive physical interactions (allogrooming, play) with other horses is an ethological need and therefore indispensable in modern husbandry systems. Ethological needs are so important for the animal that husbandry systems that lack the possibilities to execute such behaviours will cause chronic stress. It is concluded that all horses need physical social contact, and that horses, which lack appropriate social learning experiences during ontogeny, may be hampered in their social functioning later in life. Solutions for problems, including dominance problems, in individual social housing and group housing are presented. | ||||
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| Notes | Approved | no | |||
| Call Number | Equine Behaviour @ team @ | Serial | 2368 | ||
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| Author | de Villiers, M.S.; Richardson, P.R.K.; van Jaarsveld, A.S. | ||||
| Title | Patterns of coalition formation and spatial association in a social carnivore, the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) | Type | Journal Article | ||
| Year | 2003 | Publication | Journal of Zoology | Abbreviated Journal | J Zool |
| Volume | 260 | Issue | 4 | Pages | 377-389 |
| Keywords | coalitions; social systems; Carnivora; Lycaon pictus | ||||
| Abstract |
In many social species, relationships within groups seem to be non-random but related to variables such as rank, kinship or sexual attractiveness. The endangered African wild dog Lycaon pictus is a social carnivore that lives in large, stable packs, and intra-pack associations might be expected to display similar patterns. We investigated patterns of coalition formation (support during dominance interactions, and partnership interactions) and resting associations between members of a captive pack of 19 wild dogs. The social organization of the captive pack was similar to that of free-ranging packs in many respects. Polyadic (group) incidents of coalition support were also observed in a free-ranging pack. Patterns of coalition formation in the captive pack were related to rank. Most aggressive interactions involved high-ranking individuals (particularly the alpha, beta and third-ranking males) and coalitionary support tended to reinforce the existing hierarchy. However, there was at least one example of support influencing a successful rank challenge. Support was affected by potential risks and benefits, the latter including dominance through association and revolutionary alliances. An even stronger pattern overlaid associations between pack members: coalitions and resting associations were strongest between members of the same age–sex cohort, and may have enabled the eventual dominance of younger pack members over adults. Among adults, coalitionary associations were sometimes overridden by intersexual relationships. The results from this captive pack suggest that wild dogs are sensitive to differences in competitive ability. This information, in conjunction with strong affiliative bonds between littermates, is used to manoeuvre for position in the social hierarchy. It may also be important during dispersal, in encounters with other dispersing groups of the same sex. Although most features of the social structure of the captive pack were comparable to those of free-ranging packs, aspects such as the influence of relatedness on coalition formation still need to be explored. | ||||
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| Publisher | Blackwell Publishing Ltd | Place of Publication | Editor | ||
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| ISSN | 1469-7998 | ISBN | Medium | ||
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| Notes | Approved | no | |||
| Call Number | Equine Behaviour @ team @ | Serial | 5249 | ||
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| Author | Passilongo, D.; Mattioli, L.; Bassi, E.; Szabó, L.; Apollonio, M. | ||||
| Title | Visualizing sound: counting wolves by using a spectral view of the chorus howling | Type | Journal Article | ||
| Year | 2015 | Publication | Frontiers in Zoology | Abbreviated Journal | Front. Zool. |
| Volume | 12 | Issue | 1 | Pages | 22 |
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| Abstract |
Monitoring large carnivores is a central issue in conservation biology. The wolf (Canis lupus) is the most studied large carnivore in the world. After a massive decline and several local extinctions, mostly due to direct persecutions, wolves are now recolonizing many areas of their historical natural range. One of the main monitoring techniques is the howling survey, which is based on the wolves' tendency to use vocalisations to mark territory ownership in response to howls of unknown individuals. In most cases wolf howling sessions are useful for the localisation of the pack, but they provide only an aural estimation of the chorus size. | ||||
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| ISSN | 1742-9994 | ISBN | Medium | ||
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| Notes | Approved | no | |||
| Call Number | Equine Behaviour @ team @ Passilongo2015 | Serial | 6498 | ||
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| Author | Briefer, E.F.; Mandel, R.; Maigrot, A.-L.; Briefer Freymond, S.; Bachmann, I.; Hillmann, E. | ||||
| Title | Perception of emotional valence in horse whinnies | Type | Journal Article | ||
| Year | 2017 | Publication | Frontiers in Zoology | Abbreviated Journal | |
| Volume | 14 | Issue | 1 | Pages | 8 |
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| Abstract |
Non-human animals often produce different types of vocalisations in negative and positive contexts (i.e. different valence), similar to humans, in which crying is associated with negative emotions and laughter is associated with positive ones. However, some types of vocalisations (e.g. contact calls, human speech) can be produced in both negative and positive contexts, and changes in valence are only accompanied by slight structural differences. Although such acoustically graded signals associated with opposite valence have been highlighted in some species, it is not known if conspecifics discriminate them, and if contagion of emotional valence occurs as a result. We tested whether domestic horses perceive, and are affected by, the emotional valence of whinnies produced by both familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics. We measured physiological and behavioural reactions to whinnies recorded during emotionally negative (social separation) and positive (social reunion) situations. | ||||
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| ISSN | 1742-9994 | ISBN | Medium | ||
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| Notes | Approved | no | |||
| Call Number | Equine Behaviour @ team @ Briefer2017 | Serial | 6049 | ||
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| Author | Mace, G.M.; Harvey, P.H.; Clutton-Brock, T.H. | ||||
| Title | Brain size and ecology in small mammals | Type | Journal Article | ||
| Year | 1981 | Publication | Journal of Zoology | Abbreviated Journal | J Zool |
| Volume | 193 | Issue | 3 | Pages | 333-354 |
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| Abstract |
Relative brain size (measured as gross brain size after body size effects are removed) differs systematically between families of rodents, insectivores and lagomorphs. The Sciuridae have the largest relative brain size, the Soricidae and Bathyergidae the smallest. These results are discussed and compared with previous analyses of relative brain sizes among primates and bats. These differences complicate comparisons between relative brain size across phylogenetically diverse species and attempts to relate differences in relative brain size to ecological variables. To overcome these problems, best fit relationships were estimated for each family, and values for each genus were expressed as deviations from the lines of best fit. We refer to these values as Comparative Brain Size (CBS). Differences in CBS are related to differences in habitat type (forest-dwelling genera have larger CBS' than grassland forms), in diet (folivores have smaller CBS' than generalists or insectivores, frugivores and granivores), in zonation (arboreal genera have larger CBS' than terrestrial ones) and in activity timing (nocturnal genera have larger CBS' than dirurnal ones). However, these ecological categories are interrelated and, when the effects of other ecological differences are taken into account using analyses of variance, only the differences associated with diet, and possibly habitat remain. | ||||
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| Publisher | Blackwell Publishing Ltd | Place of Publication | Editor | ||
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| ISSN | 1469-7998 | ISBN | Medium | ||
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| Notes | Approved | no | |||
| Call Number | Equine Behaviour @ team @ | Serial | 5455 | ||
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| Author | Leadbeater, E. | ||||
| Title | What evolves in the evolution of social learning? | Type | Journal Article | ||
| Year | 2015 | Publication | Journal of Zoology | Abbreviated Journal | J Zool |
| Volume | 295 | Issue | 1 | Pages | 4-11 |
| Keywords | social learning; associative learning; social information use | ||||
| Abstract |
Social learning is fundamental to social life across the animal kingdom, but we still know little about how natural selection has shaped social learning abilities on a proximate level. Sometimes, complex social learning phenomena can be entirely explained by Pavlovian processes that have little to do with the evolution of sociality. This implies that the ability to learn socially could be an exaptation, not an adaptation, to social life but not that social learning abilities have been left untouched by natural selection. I discuss new empirical evidence for associative learning in social information use, explain how natural selection might facilitate the associative learning process and discuss why such studies are changing the way that we think about social learning. | ||||
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| ISSN | 1469-7998 | ISBN | Medium | ||
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| Notes | Approved | no | |||
| Call Number | Equine Behaviour @ team @ | Serial | 6015 | ||
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| Author | Healy, S.D.; Jones, C.M. | ||||
| Title | Animal learning and memory: an integration of cognition and ecology | Type | Journal Article | ||
| Year | 2002 | Publication | Zoology | Abbreviated Journal | Zoology |
| Volume | 105 | Issue | 4 | Pages | 321-327 |
| Keywords | cognitive ecology; spatial learning and memory; adaptive specialisation | ||||
| Abstract |
Summary A wonderfully lucid framework for the ways to understand animal behaviour is that represented by the four [`]whys' proposed by Tinbergen (1963). For much of the past three decades, however, these four avenues have been pursued more or less in parallel. Functional questions, for example, have been addressed by behavioural ecologists, mechanistic questions by psychologists and ethologists, ontogenetic questions by developmental biologists and neuroscientists and phylogenetic questions by evolutionary biologists. More recently, the value of integration between these differing views has become apparent. In this brief review, we concentrate especially on current attempts to integrate mechanistic and functional approaches. Most of our understanding of learning and memory in animals comes from the psychological literature, which tends to use only rats or pigeons, and more occasionally primates, as subjects. The underlying psychological assumption is of general processes that are similar across species and contexts rather than a range of specific abilities. However, this does not seem to be entirely true as several learned behaviours have been described that are specific to particular species or contexts. The first conspicuous exception to the generalist assumption was the demonstration of long delay taste aversion learning in rats (Garcia et al., 1955), in which it was shown that a stimulus need not be temporally contiguous with a response for the animal to make an association between food and illness. Subsequently, a number of other examples, such as imprinting and song learning in birds (e.g., Bolhuis and Honey, 1998; Catchpole and Slater, 1995; Horn, 1998), have been thoroughly researched. Even in these cases, however, it has been typical for only a few species to be studied (domestic chicks provide the [`]model' imprinting species and canaries and zebra finches the song learning [`]models'). As a result, a great deal is understood about the neural underpinnings and development of the behaviour, but substantially less is understood about interspecific variation and whether variation in behaviour is correlated with variation in neural processing (see review by Tramontin and Brenowitz, 2000 but see ten Cate and Vos, 1999). | ||||
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| ISSN | 0944-2006 | ISBN | Medium | ||
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| Notes | Approved | no | |||
| Call Number | Equine Behaviour @ team @ | Serial | 4741 | ||
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| Author | VanDierendonck, M.C.; de Vries, H.; Schilder, M.B.H. | ||||
| Title | An Analysis of Dominance, Its Behavioural Parameters and Possible Determinants in a Herd of Icelandic orses in Captivity | Type | Journal Article | ||
| Year | 1995 | Publication | Netherlands Journal of Zoology | Abbreviated Journal | Netherl. J. Zool. |
| Volume | 45 | Issue | 3-4 | Pages | 362-385 |
| Keywords | Dominance; rank order; horses; Icelandic horses. | ||||
| Abstract |
Th e applicability of the concept of dominance was investigated in a captive herd of  Icelandic horses and  ponies of diff erent breeds. Eight out of  behaviours possibly related to dominance occurred frequently enough to be investigated in detail. For these eight agonistic behaviours the coverage, the unidirectionality in the exchange, and the degree of transitivity (Landau`s linearity index) were calculated. Four off ensive behaviours, together with avoidance, were suitable for further analysis with regard to dominance. Th e patterns of asymmetries with which these behaviours were exchanged were suffi ciently similar as to justify the application of the dominance concept and to construct a (nearly) linear dominance hierarchy. Th e rank order of the castrated stallions was completely linear, the hierarchy of the mares was almost completely linear. Th e results suggest that off ensive and defensive aggressive behaviours should be treated separately and that the concept of dominance is applicable. However, ritualized formal dominance signals between adult horses appear to be (almost) absent. Th e rank positions of the individuals were correlated with age and residency in the herd but not with height. Middle ranking horses tended to be more frequently in the close vicinity of another horse than high ranking or low ranking horses. Over and above this correlation at the individual level, it was found that pairs of horses close in rank to each other were more often also spatially close to each other. Being in oestrus did not infl uence the dominance relationships between mares. For castrated stallions the rank positions were correlated with the age at which they were castrated. Th is suggests that in male horses experience prior to neutering infl uences the behaviour afterwards. |
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| Language | English | Summary Language | Original Title | ||
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| Notes | Approved | no | |||
| Call Number | refbase @ user @ | Serial | 440 | ||
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| Author | Briefer, E.F.; Haque, S.; Baciadonna, L.; McElligott, A.G. | ||||
| Title | Goats excel at learning and remembering a highly novel cognitive task | Type | Journal Article | ||
| Year | 2014 | Publication | Frontiers in Zoology | Abbreviated Journal | Front. Zool. |
| Volume | 11 | Issue | 1 | Pages | 20 |
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| Abstract |
The computational demands of sociality (maintaining group cohesion, reducing conflict) and ecological problems (extractive foraging, memorizing resource locations) are the main drivers proposed to explain the evolution cognition. Different predictions follow, about whether animals would preferentially learn new tasks socially or not, but the prevalent view today is that intelligent species should excel at social learning. However, the predictions were originally used to explain primate cognition, and studies of species with relatively smaller brains are rare. By contrast, domestication has often led to a decrease in brain size, which could affect cognition. In domestic animals, the relaxed selection pressures compared to a wild environment could have led to reduced social and physical cognition. Goats possess several features commonly associated with advanced cognition, such as successful colonization of new environments and complex fission-fusion societies. Here, we assessed goat social and physical cognition as well as long-term memory of a complex two-step foraging task (food box cognitive challenge), in order to investigate some of the main selection pressures thought to affect the evolution of ungulate cognition. | ||||
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| ISSN | 1742-9994 | ISBN | Medium | ||
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| Notes | Approved | no | |||
| Call Number | Equine Behaviour @ team @ Briefer2014 | Serial | 6376 | ||
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