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Kabuga, J. D., Gari-Kwaku, J., & Annor, S. Y. (1991). Social status and its relationships to maintenance behaviour in a herd of N'dama and West African Shorthorn cattle. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 31(3-4), 169–181.
Abstract: Social-related behaviour of N'dama and West African Shorthorn (WASH) cattle grazing together was studied over 10 consecutive days. Dominance was not related to age, liveweight or leadership when the animals were led into a weighing scale or into and out of the experimental paddock. Dominance had no influence on the use of shade, on drinking frequency or on grazing time, it was, however, positively associated with time spent ruminating and idling and with the frequency of allogrooming. Forced leadership into a weighing scale was negatively correlated (Spearmans rank correlation (rs=-0.69, P<0.05) with liveweight while voluntary leadership, out of the experimental paddock (rs=0.85, P<0.01) and into the experimental paddock (rs=0.76, P<0.05), was positively correlated with liveweight. Voluntary leadership also positively and significantly (P<0.01) influenced the frequency of visits to the water trough. All measures of leadership were significantly but negatively correlated with frequency of social association (close contact) between cows. N'dama were more aggressive than WASH and had higher dominance values. There was a slight tendency for WASH to associate more with their peers than N'dama with their peers. Social behaviours such as allogrooming were low and rubbing and sniffing absent in both breeds.
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Kaczensky, P. (2015). Conservation of Asiatic wild asses. In K. Krueger (Ed.), Proceedings of the 3. International Equine Science Meeting. Wald: Xenophon Publishing.
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Kalin, N. H., & Shelton, S. E. (2003). Nonhuman primate models to study anxiety, emotion regulation, and psychopathology. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1008, 189–200.
Abstract: This paper demonstrates that the rhesus monkey provides an excellent model to study mechanisms underlying human anxiety and fear and emotion regulation. In previous studies with rhesus monkeys, stable, brain, endocrine, and behavioral characteristics related to individual differences in anxiety were found. It was suggested that, when extreme, these features characterize an anxious endophenotype and that these findings in the monkey are particularly relevant to understanding adaptive and maladaptive anxiety responses in humans. The monkey model is also relevant to understanding the development of human psychopathology. For example, children with extremely inhibited temperament are at increased risk to develop anxiety disorders, and these children have behavioral and biological alterations that are similar to those described in the monkey anxious endophenotype. It is likely that different aspects of the anxious endophenotype are mediated by the interactions of limbic, brain stem, and cortical regions. To understand the brain mechanisms underlying adaptive anxiety responses and their physiological concomitants, a series of studies in monkeys lesioning components of the neural circuitry (amygdala, central nucleus of the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex) hypothesized to play a role are currently being performed. Initial findings suggest that the central nucleus of the amygdala modulates the expression of behavioral inhibition, a key feature of the endophenotype. In preliminary FDG positron emission tomography (PET) studies, functional linkages were established between the amygdala and prefrontal cortical regions that are associated with the activation of anxiety.
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Kaminski, J., Call, J., & Fischer, J. (2004). Word Learning in a Domestic Dog: Evidence for “Fast Mapping”. Science, 304(5677), 1682–1683.
Abstract: During speech acquisition, children form quick and rough hypotheses about the meaning of a new word after only a single exposure--a process dubbed “fast mapping.” Here we provide evidence that a border collie, Rico, is able to fast map. Rico knew the labels of over 200 different items. He inferred the names of novel items by exclusion learning and correctly retrieved those items right away as well as 4 weeks after the initial exposure. Fast mapping thus appears to be mediated by general learning and memory mechanisms also found in other animals and not by a language acquisition device that is special to humans.
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Kampmann, S.: A., Hampson, B.A., & Pollitt, C. C. (2012). Population dynamics of Australian feral horses in a semiarid environment. In K. Krueger (Ed.), Proceedings of the 2. International Equine Science Meeting (Vol. in press). Wald: Xenophon Publishing.
Abstract: Introduction: The feral horse population of Australia is the largest in the world and, in average seasons, increases at a rate of approximately 20% per annum. Recent record rainfall in much of semi-arid Central Australia has led to a population increase in excess of normal rates and this project aimed to document the increase. Uncontrolled feral horse numbers have habitat degradation and horse welfare implications and were the reasons for performing the study. Materials and Methods: The study area was an unmanaged 4,000km2 semi-arid area in Central Australia (Lat 24.50, Long 132.10). The population of feral horses within the study area is estimated to be in excess of 10,000. During an 8 week period at the end of the winter season of 2011, horses were identified by ground searches, movement sensored cameras and from hides positioned at key water holes. The area surveyed represented only a small percentage of the overall habitat. Horses were identified by descriptive features and markings. Where possible, sex and age category were documented. Population growth rate was estimated from the observed sample and was expressed as the number of foals born in the current year, divided by the number of horses older than one year. Results: A total of 1,486 horses were identified and categorised, of which 335 were foals born within the current foaling season. Only 129 juveniles, presumably born in the preceding year, were identified. Of the adult horses, 54% were male and 46% were female. Seventy-four percent of mares (n=452) had a foal at foot and the population growth rate was 29%. Conclusion: With a sustained population growth rate of 29%, this population of feral horses will more than double within 3 years. The high rate of increase is concerning because it will negatively impact on the native fauna and flora and fragile semi-arid ecosystems of Central Australia. In addition the feral horses of the study area have experienced an unusual period of high rainfall and plentiful grazing but a return to normal drought conditions is imminent. Starvation, thirst and death from diminished resources will then be a serious welfare concern for horses. KW -
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Kaplan, G. (2015). Social animals and Communication, with special reference to horses. In K. Krueger (Ed.), Proceedings of the 3. International Equine Science Meeting. Proc. 3. Int. Equine. Sci. Mtg, in prep. Wald: Xenophon Publishing.
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Kaseda Y,. (1991). Some factors affecting on the population dynamics of two herds in Misaki feral horses. Anim Sci Tech, 62, 1171–1178.
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Kaseda, Y., & Khalil, A. M. (1996). Harem size and reproductive success of stallions in Misaki feral horses. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 47(3-4), 163–173.
Abstract: Over a 16-year period (1979-1994), long-term investigations were carried out on 14 Misaki feral stallions to analyze changes in harem size and the reproductive success. Harem size changed with the age of the stallions. Most stallions formed harem groups with four to five mares at the age of 4-6 and then the number of mares increased rapidly to the maximum at the age of 6-9 years. Thereafter, harem size decreased gradually to a minimum with advancing age. The harem size of 60 stable harem groups ranged from 1 to 9, and the average varied from a minimum mean of 1.8 in 1988 to a maximum mean of 5.3 in 1982. Mean harem size increased as adult sex ratio increased and a significant and positive correlation was found between them. One hundred and ninety-eight sire-foal pairs were determined by a paternity test with blood types and consort relations between stallions and mares during the study period. Out of 99 foals which were born in the stable harem groups, the true sires of 84 foals (85%) were the harem stallions in which the foals were born but the remaining 15 foals (15%) were sired by other harem stallions. Two out of three stallions which were studied throughout their lifetime produced 24 and 25 foals in 10 and 11 years of their reproductive lifespan, respectively. Another one produced only five foals in 6 years. The number of foals sired by the harem stallions was less than two over harem size 7 and some of the foals born in the harem were sired by other harem stallions. These results suggest that if a particular stallion monopolizes too many mares, he could not sire so many offspring because he could not always prevent his rival stallions from mating with his mares in wild or feral circumstances.
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Kaseda, Y., & K. Nozawa, K. (1996). Father-daughter matings and its avoidance in Misaki feral horses. Anim Sci Tech, 67(11), 996–1002.
Abstract: Father-daughter matings and its avoidance mechanism were analysed on the basis of data which gained from behavioural observations and paternity tests in Misaki feral horses from 1979 to 1994. Twelve stallions and their 51 daughters had 176 breeding seasons, but they lived in the different home range in 82 breeding seasons. About half of 1- to 3-year-old mares emigrated from natal area to the other and grew up there. Therefore, emigrations of young mares may result reduction of contacts and avoidance of inbreeding with their fathers. The stallions and their daughters lived in the same area in 94 breeding seasons, but there were no cases that daughters which left their natal harem groups before sexual maturity formed again stable consort relations with their natal harem stallions. It is possible that separation of young mares from their natal groups before sexual maturity may result avoidance of formation of consort relation with their fathers. Two father-daughter matings were observed in 124 paternity tests. These two daughters were born in the other harem groups than their father's and left their natal groups before maturity. After maturity, one of them formed a stable consort relation with her father and the other remained together with her father for 2 months in the breeding season. Both of them had not experience to have lived with their fathers before maturity. The persent result supports the hypothesis in wild and semi-wild horses that inbreedings between fathers and daughters may be avioded by the experience to have lived together before sexual maturity.
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Kavar, T., & Dovc, P. (2008). Domestication of the horse: Genetic relationships between domestic and wild horses. Livestock Science, 116(1-3), 1–14.
Abstract: To date, a large amount of equine genetic data has been obtained regarding (i) extant domestic horses of various breeds from all over the world, (ii) ancient domestic horses, (iii) the extant Przewalski's wild horse, and (iv) the late Pleistocene wild horse from Eurasia and North America. Here, a review of mtDNA and Y chromosome marker analyses is presented in the context of horse domestication. High matrilineal (mtDNA) diversity, which can be found in both extant and ancient (domestic and wild) horses, has suggested that a high number of wild (and tamed) mares were domesticated. Alternatively, Y chromosome marker analysis revealed a single haplotype in all domestic horses analyzed; interestingly even a small population of extant Przewalski's wild horses showed two different Y chromosome haplotypes. It seems that an extreme male population bottleneck occurred due to domestication, while reduction in the female population was only moderate, leaving about 100 distinct haplotypes. For this reason, we speculate that domestication might have started when the appropriate stallion was found or was obtained by selection. Perhaps it had some unusual but special characteristics which could have accelerated the process of domestication. We doubt that only a single Y chromosome haplotype will be found in present-day domestic horses if there are no important differences between the founder stallion/s and the other stallions that were not included in the domestication. In the Eneolithic, tamed and wild mares have probably been spread all over Eurasia, although the number of animals was most likely very low and the populations were limited to a restricted area (e.g., taming centers). Only two subspecies of wild horses (Tarpan and Przewalski's wild horse) have survived up to recently. During the further process of domestication, mares (tamed or wild) were preferentially crossed to stallions having more desirable characteristics. We assume that mares from different regions varied in their morphology due to adaptation to their local environmental conditions. These data might explain rapid expansion of horse populations, as well as their rapid differentiation into various phenotypes during the early phase of domestication.
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