Abstract: We investigated 71 horses at five stud farms. Their breeds were Thoroughbred (n = 48), Anglo-Arab (n = 7), Thoroughbred mixed breed (n = 5), Appaloosa (n = 3), Selle Francais (n = 2), Dutch Warmblood, Haflinger, Pinto, Quarter Horse and Westfalen (n = 1, respectively), and one horse's breed was not known, but was a heavy horse. Their genders were stallion (n = 5), gelding (n = 41) and female (n = 25). Their ages ranged from 4 to 24 and the average was 11.1 +/- 5.3 (S.D.). The horses' behaviour was twice observed for 2 h both before and after feeding, using a scan sampling technique at 2 min intervals. We investigated the relationship between management factors, age, sex, breed and behavioural patterns of stabled horses, and the occurrence of weaving by a least-squares analysis of variance, a correlation analysis, Chi-square test and an analysis of behavioural sequences. Thoroughbred horses displayed weaving more than other breeds (P < 0.01) and horses in box stalls which were face to face with each other displayed weaving more than those in box stalls which were formed in a line (P < 0.01). The time budget of weaving correlated negatively with the amount of hay-cube fed (kg/day) (P < 0.05) and time budgets of drinking, bedding investigation, looking and coprophagia (P < 0.01, respectively). From the analysis of behavioural sequences, weaving followed resting (P < 0.01), looking (P < 0.01) and pawing (P < 0.05), and was followed by them (P < 0.01, P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). The least-squares analysis of variance revealed that Thoroughbred horses investigated the bedding more than other breeds (P < 0.05), horses that are usually in contact with `mainly familiar people' investigated the bedding significantly less than those usually in contact with `people including strangers' (P < 0.05), and horses in box stalls which were face to face with each other tended to investigate the bedding more than those in box stalls which were formed in a line. The time spent feeding was related to food type (min/kg), and tended to be negatively correlated with the time budget of bedding investigation behaviour. These results indicate that weaving in horses is affected by breed, stable design, feed type, and other behavioural traits.

Abstract: We examined how social context and experience affected development of antipredator behaviour and subsequent postrelease survival in the black-tailed prairie dog. Captive-reared juveniles were initially exposed to four stimulus animals: a ferret, a rattlesnake, a hawk and a cottontail control (pretraining tests). Subjects were then trained with or without an adult female demonstrator. Training involved exposure to each stimulus animal two to three times over 5 weeks. After training, each juvenile was retested with each stimulus animal (post-training tests). During pretraining tests, juveniles responded differentially to the stimulus animals. They were least active with the snake, fled the most in tests with the hawk, and were less vigilant with the ferret than with the snake. Following training, juveniles trained with experienced adults were more wary with all three predators than juveniles trained without an experienced adult present. We then compared the antipredator behaviour of captive-reared juveniles trained with experienced adult females with that of wild-reared juveniles of the same age. For all behavioural measures except shelter use, wild-experienced animals differentiated more strongly among predator types than did captive-trained juveniles. One year after reintroduction, survivorship of juveniles trained with experienced adults was higher than that of juveniles trained without experienced adults, but did not differ from that of wild-reared juveniles. These findings provide the first evidence that social transmission of antipredator behaviour during training can enhance long-term survival following release and that as long as a social training regime is used, predator avoidance training can emulate experience acquired in the wild.

Abstract: We argue that the operational definition proposed by Ramsey et al. does not represent a significant improvement for students of innovation, because it is so restrictive that it might actually prevent the testing of hypotheses on the relationships between innovation, ecology, evolution, culture, and intelligence. To avoid tautological thinking, we need to use an operational definition that is taxonomically unbiased and neutral with respect to the hypotheses to be tested.

Abstract: Two studies were conducted to determine the relationship of feeding behavior to the phenotypic expression of feed efficiency. In Exp. 1, a feedlot diet containing roughage was fed (traditional). In Exp. 2, a no-roughage diet was fed. Residual feed intake (RFI), a measure of feed efficiency, was calculated for both studies. In Exp. 1, 6 feed efficient (low RFI) steers and 6 feed inefficient steers (high RFI) were selected from a contemporary group of 80 steers, and feeding behaviors were analyzed. In Exp. 2, 9 feed efficient and 8 feed inefficient steers were selected from a contemporary group of 40 steers. There were no differences (P > 0.13) in initial or final BW or ADG between efficient and inefficient groups in either Exp. 1 or 2. In Exp. 1 DMI and average eating bouts daily differed (P < 0.001) with efficient steers consuming less feed and eating fewer times per day. In Exp. 2, efficient steers consumed less (P < 0.001) feed, and average eating bouts daily tended (P = 0.07) to be fewer in efficient animals. Limited differences were noted in feeding behavior between groups, with inefficient steers from both studies having a more variable eating pattern throughout the day. The average daily eating rate did not differ (P > 0.20) between groups in either experiment. The average number of days comprising a feeding pattern for both feed efficiency groups in Exp. 1 and 2 was found to be 2 to 3 d and multiples of 2 to 3 d. In Exp. 1 the feed intake pattern of efficient and inefficient steers changed once they reached a BW of approximately 391 kg and 381 kg, respectively. This occurred near d 47 for the efficient steers and near d 32 for inefficient steers. In Exp. 2 the feed intake pattern of both efficient and inefficient steers changed once they reached a BW of approximately 399 kg, which occurred on d 31 for the efficient steers and on d 33 for the inefficient steers. From the measured variables there were no differences in growth and limited differences noted in feeding behavior between feed efficient and feed inefficient groups. The results of the trials suggest increased variability of feed intake throughout the day for feed inefficient animals.

Abstract: Two adult chimpanzees were trained on a relative “numerosity” discrimination task. In each trial, two arrays containing different numbers of red dots were presented on a CRT monitor. The subjects were required to choose the array containing the larger number of dots. In Experiment 1, using numerosities between 1 and 8, 28 different pairs were presented repeatedly, and accuracy scores were analyzed to explore which cues the chimpanzee subjects utilized to perform the task. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the subjects' performance was (1) not simply controlled by the “numerical” difference between arrays, but that it was (2) best described by Fechner's Law-that is accuracy increased linearly with the logarithmic value of the numerical difference between arrays divided by the number in the larger of the two arrays. This relationship was maintained when using much larger numerosities (Experiment 3). In Experiment 2, the chimpanzees were tested on the effects of total area and density by manipulating dot size and presentation area. The results revealed that these factors clearly affected the subjects' performance but that they could not alone explain the results, suggesting that the chimpanzees did use relative numerosity difference as a discriminative cue.