Dong, D., Jones, G., & Zhang, S. (2009). Dynamic evolution of bitter taste receptor genes in vertebrates. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 9(1), 12.
Abstract: Sensing bitter tastes is crucial for many animals because it can prevent them from ingesting harmful foods. This process is mainly mediated by the bitter taste receptors (T2R), which are largely expressed in the taste buds. Previous studies have identified some T2R gene repertoires, and marked variation in repertoire size has been noted among species. However, the mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate T2R genes remain poorly understood.
|
Chapelain, A., & Blois-Heulin, C. (2009). Lateralization for visual processes: eye preference in Campbell"s monkeys ( Cercopithecus c. campbelli ). Anim. Cogn., 12(1), 11–19.
Abstract: Abstract: Brain lateralization has been the matter of extensive research over the last centuries, but it remains an unsolved issue. While hand preferences have been extensively studied, very few studies have investigated laterality of eye use in non-human primates. We examined eye preference in 14 Campbell"s monkeys (Cercopithecus c. campbelli). We assessed eye preference to look at a seed placed inside a tube using monocular vision. Eye use was recorded for 100 independent and non-rewarded trials per individual. All of the 14 monkeys showed very strong preferences in the choice of the eye used to look inside the tube (mean preference: 97.6%). Eight subjects preferred the right eye and six subjects preferred the left eye. The results are discussed in light of previous data on eye preference in primates, and compared to data on hand preference from these subjects. Our findings would support the hypothesis for an early emergence of lateralization for perceptual processes compared to manual motor functions.
|
Iliopoulos, Y., Sgardelis, S., Koutis, V., & Savaris, D. (2009). Wolf depredation on livestock in central Greece. Mamm. Reas., 54(1), 11–22.
Abstract: We studied wolfCanis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 -- livestock conflict in central Greece by investigating patterns of 267 verified wolf attacks on livestock for 21 months. Wolves attacked adult goats 43% and cattle 218% more than expected, whereas sheep 41% less than expected from their availability. Wolves killed less than four sheep or goats in 79%, and one cow or calf in 74% of depredation events, respectively. We recorded higher attack rates during wolf post-weaning season. Wolf attacks on strayed, or kept inside non predator-proof enclosures, sheep and goats, were on average two to four times respectively more destructive than those when livestock was guarded by a shepherd. Sheepdog use reduced losses per attack. Optimal sheepdog number ranged from 3 to 9 animals depending on flock size. Losses per attack were positively related to the number of wolves involved. Total losses per farm were positively correlated with the size of livestock unit but percentage losses per capita increased with decreasing flock size. Management implications to mitigate livestock depredation are discussed.
|
Goodwin, D., McGreevy, P., Waran, N., & McLean, A. (2009). How equitation science can elucidate and refine horsemanship techniques. Special Issue: Equitation Science, 181(1), 5–11.
Abstract: The long-held belief that human dominance and equine submission are key to successful training and that the horse must be taught to [`]respect' the trainer infers that force is often used during training. Many horses respond by trialling unwelcome evasions, resistances and flight responses, which readily become established. When unable to cope with problem behaviours, some handlers in the past might have been encouraged to use harsh methods or devices while others may have called in a so-called [`]good horseman' or [`]horse whisperer' to remediate the horse. Frequently, the approaches such practitioners offer could not be applied by the horse's owner or trainer because of their lack of understanding or inability to apply the techniques. Often it seemed that these [`]horse-people' had magical ways with horses (e.g., they only had to whisper to them) that achieved impressive results although they had little motivation to divulge their techniques. As we begin to appreciate how to communicate with horses sensitively and consistently, misunderstandings and misinterpretations by horse and trainer should become less common. Recent studies have begun to reveal what comprises the simplest, most humane and most effective mechanisms in horse training and these advances are being matched by greater sharing of knowledge among practitioners. Indeed, various practitioners of what is referred to here as [`]natural horsemanship' now use techniques similar to the [`]whisperers' of old, but they are more open about their methods. Reputable horse trainers using natural horsemanship approaches are talented observers of horse behaviour and respond consistently and swiftly to the horse's subtle cues during training. For example, in the roundpen these trainers apply an aversive stimulus to prompt a flight response and then, when the horse slows down, moves toward them, or offers space-reducing affiliative signals, the trainer immediately modifies his/her agonistic signals, thus negatively reinforcing the desired response. Learning theory and equine ethology, the fundamentals of the emerging discipline of equitation science, can be used to explain almost all the behaviour modification that goes on in these contexts and in conventional horsemanship. By measuring and evaluating what works and what does not, equitation science has the potential to have a unifying effect on traditional practices and developing branches of equitation.
|
Giret, N., Miklósi, Á., Kreutzer, M., & Bovet, D. (2009). Use of experimenter-given cues by African gray parrots ( Psittacus erithacus ). Anim. Cogn., 12(1), 1–10.
Abstract: Abstract: One advantage of living in a social group is the opportunity to use information provided by other individuals. Social information can be based on cues provided by a conspecific or even by a heterospecific individual (e.g., gaze direction, vocalizations, pointing gestures). Although the use of human gaze and gestures has been extensively studied in primates, and is increasingly studied in other mammals, there is no documentation of birds using these cues in a cooperative context. In this study, we tested the ability of three African gray parrots to use different human cues (pointing and/or gazing) in an object-choice task. We found that one subject spontaneously used the most salient pointing gesture (looking and steady pointing with hand at about 20 cm from the baited box). The two others were also able to use this cue after 15 trials. None of the parrots spontaneously used the steady gaze cues (combined head and eye orientation), but one learned to do so effectively after only 15 trials when the distance between the head and the baited box was about 1 m. However, none of the parrots were able to use the momentary pointing nor the distal pointing and gazing cues. These results are discussed in terms of sensitivity to joint attention as a prerequisite to understand pointing gestures as it is to the referential use of labels.
|
|
Lepple, N. (2009). Qualitätssicherung in der Fohlenaufzucht. Diploma thesis, Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Umwelt Nürtingen-Geislingen, Nürtingen.
|
|
Spengler, A. E., H. (2009). Human interaction with a gorilla family.
|
|
Battista E. (2009). Il Pony di Esperia. Ciociaria: ciociariaturismo.
|
|
Bundesministerium für Ernährung, L. und V. (2009). Beurteilung von Pferdehaltungen unter Tierschutzgesichtspunkten.
|
Fabritius, C. (2009). Sozialstruktur einer Herde Islandpferde bei Veränderung der Gruppenzusammenstellung. Ph.D. thesis, , Hannover.
Abstract: Die Domestikation des Pferdes begann wahrscheinlich etwa 5500 v. Chr. in
Südosteuropa. In Mitteleuropa traten circa 3000 v. Chr. die ersten Hauspferde auf.
Grundsätzlich wird davon ausgegangen, dass sich die Ansprüche des Pferdes
hinsichtlich der Lebensbedingungen, welche sich im Laufe der Evolution über
Millionen von Jahren entwickelt haben, in der Obhut des Menschen nicht wesentlich
geändert haben. Für Pferde typisch ist das Leben im Sozialverband, der Herde
(Zeitler-Feicht 2008). Diese wird auch in den Leitlinien der Sachverständigengruppe
tierschutzgerechte Pferdehaltung (10. November 1995) empfohlen, sofern es nicht
durch zu häufigen Wechsel im Bestand zu einem Übermaß an Stress und
agonistischen Aktionen kommt.
Ziel der Arbeit war es, anhand eines nach der Literatur erstellten Ethogramms des
Sozialverhaltens des Pferdes, herauszufinden, inwieweit Änderungen der
Gruppenstruktur die sozialen Beziehungen beeinflussten. Die Fragestellung bezog
sich auf eine Herde in Offenstallhaltung. Um die eventuellen Veränderungen der
sozialen Interaktionen zu untersuchen, wurde erst die vorhandene Gruppenstruktur
der Herde festgestellt. Danach wurde ein Individuum aus der Herde entfernt und ein
anderes dazugestellt. Anschließend wurde die Gesamtgruppe in zwei Untergruppen
geteilt und nach einem gewissen Zeitraum erneut zusammengeführt. Dabei wurden
jeweils die Interaktionen der Pferde anhand des Ethogramms beobachtet,
aufgezeichnet und protokolliert.
Untersuchungsgegenstand war eine Herde Islandpferde, die in einer
Ausgangsgruppe von 16 Tieren gehalten wurde.
Die Beschreibung einer sozialen Ordnung im Allgemeinen und einer Rangordnung im
Besonderen wird in vielen Studien ausschließlich auf der Basis der Beobachtung und
Bewertung offensiv aggressiver Verhaltenselemente durchgeführt. Aggressives
Verhalten muss hingegen im Gegensatz zu Verhaltensweisen, die die Anerkennung
des sozialen Status des anderen Pferdes bedeuten, wie Abwenden oder Meiden,
nicht notwendigerweise ein Anzeichen von Dominanz über ein anderes Tier
bedeuten (Van Hoof u. Wensing 1987, Schilder 1988). Ein weiterer Aspekt dieser
Arbeit sollte sein, eine Möglichkeit zu finden, die Sozialstruktur auch auf der
Grundlage defensiver und soziopositiver Verhaltenselemente zu definieren.
|
