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Author VanDierendonck, M.C. url  openurl
  Title General Discussion Type Manuscript
  Year 2006 Publication The Importance of Social Relationships in Horses Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Chapter 7 Issue Pages  
  Keywords 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.  
  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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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Universiteit Utrecht Editor  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2372  
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Author Valone, T.J. openurl 
  Title Group foraging, public information, and patch estimation Type Journal Article
  Year 1989 Publication Oikos Abbreviated Journal Oikos  
  Volume 56 Issue 3 Pages 357-363  
  Keywords Techniques; Mathematical techniques; Nutrition; Feeding behaviour; Behaviour; Social behaviour^, Comprehensive Zoology; Mathematical model; Resource patch estimation by group members; use of public information; Foraging; Group behaviour  
  Abstract Public information is information about the quality of a patch that can be obtained by observing the foraging success of other individuals in that patch. I examine the influence of the use of public information on patch departure and foraging efficiency of group members. When groups depart a patch with the first individual to leave, the use of public information can prevent the underutilization of resource patches.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4274  
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Author Bayly, K.L.; Evans, C.S.; Taylor, A. doi  openurl
  Title Measuring social structure: A comparison of eight dominance indices Type Journal Article
  Year 2006 Publication Behavioural Processes Abbreviated Journal Behav. Process.  
  Volume 73 Issue 1 Pages 1-12  
  Keywords Social status; Methods; Behaviour in groups  
  Abstract Measurement of social status is an important component of many behavioural studies. A variety of techniques have been developed and adopted, but while there have been some analyses of index properties using simulated data, the rationale for selecting a method remains poorly documented. As a first step in exploring the implications of index choice, we compared the characteristics of eight popular indices by applying each to the same data set from interactions between male fowl Gallus gallus, the system in which social hierarchies were first described. Data from eight social groups, observed over four successive breeding seasons, were analysed to determine whether different indices produced consistent dominance scores. These scores were then used in tests of the relation between social status and crowing to explore whether index choice affected the results obtained. We also examined the pattern of dominance index use over the last decade to infer whether this has likely been influenced by tradition, or by taxa of study animal. Overall agreement among methods was good when groups of birds had perfectly linear hierarchies, but results diverged when social structure was more complex, with either intransitive triads or reversals. While all regression analyses revealed a positive relationship between dominance and vocal behaviour, there were substantial differences in the amount of variance accounted for, even though the original data were identical in every case. Index selection can hence perturb estimates of the importance of dominance, relative to other factors. We also found that several methods have been adopted only by particular research teams, while the use of others has been taxonomically constrained, patterns implying that indices have not always been chosen solely upon their merits. Taken together, our results read as a cautionary tale. We suggest that selection of a dominance index requires careful consideration both of algorithm properties and of the factors affecting social status in the system of interest.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4289  
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Author Connor, R.C.; Wells, R.S.; Mann, J.; Read,A.J. isbn  openurl
  Title The bottlenose dolphin: Social relationships in a fission-fusion society. Type Book Chapter
  Year 2000 Publication Cetacean Societies: Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales. Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 91-126  
  Keywords cetacean social behavior, male alliance formation, most cetacean species, platanistid river dolphins, cetacean sociality, strategies and social bonds, female cetaceans, many cetologists, most mysticetes, sperm whale calves, passive fishing nets, variant whistles, historical whaling records, cetacean systematics, stable matrilineal groups, peak calving season, suction cup tags, mutualistic groups, cetacean vocalizations, focal animal studies, larger odontocetes, predictive signaling, individual cetaceans, sperm whale clicks, resident killer whales  
  Abstract Book Description

“Part review, part testament to extraordinary dedication, and part call to get involved, Cetacean Societies highlights the achievements of behavioral ecologists inspired by the challenges of cetaceans and committed to the exploration of a new world.”-from the preface by Richard Wrangham

Long-lived, slow to reproduce, and often hidden beneath the water's surface, whales and dolphins (cetaceans) have remained elusive subjects for scientific study even though they have fascinated humans for centuries. Until recently, much of what we knew about cetaceans came from commercial sources such as whalers and trainers for dolphin acts. Innovative research methods and persistent efforts, however, have begun to penetrate the depths to reveal tantalizing glimpses of the lives of these mammals in their natural habitats.

Cetacean Societies presents the first comprehensive synthesis and review of these new studies. Groups of chapters focus on the history of cetacean behavioral research and methodology; state-of-the-art reviews of information on four of the most-studied species: bottlenose dolphins, killer whales, sperm whales, and humpback whales; and summaries of major topics, including group living, male and female reproductive strategies, communication, and conservation drawn from comparative research on a wide range of species.

Written by some of the world's leading cetacean scientists, this landmark volume will benefit not just students of cetology but also researchers in other areas of behavioral and conservation ecology as well as anyone with a serious interest in the world of whales and dolphins.

Contributors are Robin Baird, Phillip Clapham, Jenny Christal, Richard Connor, Janet Mann, Andrew Read, Randall Reeves, Amy Samuels, Peter Tyack, Linda Weilgart, Hal Whitehead, Randall S. Wells, and Richard Wrangham.
 
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher University of Chicago Press Place of Publication Chicago Editor Mann, J.;Connor, R.C.; Tyack, P.L.;Whitehead, H.  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (down) ISBN 978-0226503417 Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4427  
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Author Smith, J.E.; Kolowski, J.M.; Graham, K.E.; Dawes, S.E.; Holekamp, K.E. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Social and ecological determinants of fission-fusion dynamics in the spotted hyaena Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 76 Issue 3 Pages 619-636  
  Keywords competition; conflict resolution; cooperative hunting; Crocuta crocuta; ecological constraints; group living; social rank  
  Abstract Theory predicts that individuals living in fission-fusion societies, in which group members frequently change subgroups, should modify grouping patterns in response to varying social and environmental conditions. Spotted hyaenas, Crocuta crocuta, are long-lived carnivores that reside in permanent social groups called clans. Clans are complex, fission-fusion societies in which individual members travel, rest and forage in subgroups that frequently change composition. We studied two clans in Kenya to provide the first detailed description of fission-fusion dynamics in this species. Because social and ecological circumstances can influence the cohesiveness of animal societies, we evaluated the extent to which specific circumstances promote the formation of subgroups of various sizes. We found that cooperative defence of shared resources during interclan competition and protection from lions were cohesive forces that promoted formation of large subgroups. We also tested hypotheses suggesting factors limiting subgroup size. Mothers with small cubs avoided conspecifics, thereby reducing infanticide risk. Victims of aggression either reconciled fights or separated from former opponents to reduce the immediate costs of escalated aggression in the absence of food. As predicted by the ecological constraints hypothesis, hyaenas adjusted their grouping patterns over both short and long time scales in response to feeding competition. Crocuta were most gregarious during periods of abundant prey, joined clanmates at ephemeral kills in numbers that correlated with the energetic value of the prey and gained the most energy when foraging alone because cooperative hunting attracted numerous competitors. Overall, our findings indicate that resource limitation constrains grouping in this species.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4676  
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Author Sawaguchi, T.; Kudo, H. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Neocortical development and social structure in primates Type Journal Article
  Year 1990 Publication Primates Abbreviated Journal Primates  
  Volume 31 Issue 2 Pages 283-289  
  Keywords Neocortex – Relative size – Allometry – Congeneric group – Social structure – Monogyny – Polygyny – Primates  
  Abstract Abstract  The relationships between the relative size of the neocortex and differences in social structures were examined in prosimians and anthropoids. The relative size of the neocortex (RSN) of a given congeneric group in each superfamily of primates was measured based on the allometric relationships between neocortical volume and brain weight for each superfamily, to control phylogenetic affinity and the effects of brain size. In prosimians, “troop-making†congeneric groups (N=3) revealed a significantly larger RSN than solitary groups (N=6), and there was a significant, positive correlation between RSN and troop size. In the case of anthropoids, polygynous/frugivorous groups (N=5) revealed a significantly larger RSN than monogynous/frugivorous groups (N=8). Furthermore, a significant, positive correlation between RSN and troop size was found for frugivorous congeneric groups of the Ceboidea. These results suggest that neocortical development is associated with differences in social structure among primates.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4799  
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Author Lusseau, D.; Conradt, L. url  doi
openurl 
  Title The emergence of unshared consensus decisions in bottlenose dolphins Type Journal Article
  Year 2009 Publication Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Abbreviated Journal Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol.  
  Volume 63 Issue 7 Pages 1067-1077  
  Keywords Behavioral ecology – Decision-making process – Bottlenose dolphin – Group living  
  Abstract Abstract  Unshared consensus decision-making processes, in which one or a small number of individuals make the decision for the rest of a group, are rarely documented. However, this mechanism can be beneficial for all group members when one individual has greater knowledge about the benefits of the decision than other group members. Such decisions are reached during certain activity shifts within the population of bottlenose dolphins residing in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand. Behavioral signals are performed by one individual and seem to precipitate shifts in the behavior of the entire group: males perform side flops and initiate traveling bouts while females perform upside-down lobtails and terminate traveling bouts. However, these signals are not observed at all activity shifts. We find that, while side flops were performed by males that have greater knowledge than other male group members, this was not the case for females performing upside-down lobtails. The reason for this could have been that a generally high knowledge about the optimal timing of travel terminations rendered it less important which individual female made the decision.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5109  
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Author Dyer, J.R.G.; Johansson, A.; Helbing, D.; Couzin, I.D.; Krause, J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Leadership, consensus decision making and collective behaviour in humans Type Journal Article
  Year 2009 Publication Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Abbreviated Journal Phil. Trans. Biol. Sci.  
  Volume 364 Issue 1518 Pages 781-789  
  Keywords * leadership * consensus decision making * collective behaviour * human group  
  Abstract This paper reviews the literature on leadership in vertebrate groups, including recent work on human groups, before presenting the results of three new experiments looking at leadership and decision making in small and large human groups. In experiment 1, we find that both group size and the presence of uninformed individuals can affect the speed with which small human groups (eight people) decide between two opposing directional preferences and the likelihood of the group splitting. In experiment 2, we show that the spatial positioning of informed individuals within small human groups (10 people) can affect the speed and accuracy of group motion. We find that having a mixture of leaders positioned in the centre and on the edge of a group increases the speed and accuracy with which the group reaches their target. In experiment 3, we use large human crowds (100 and 200 people) to demonstrate that the trends observed from earlier work using small human groups can be applied to larger crowds. We find that only a small minority of informed individuals is needed to guide a large uninformed group. These studies build upon important theoretical and empirical work on leadership and decision making in animal groups.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5122  
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Author Conradt, L.; Krause, J.; Couzin, I. D.; Roper, T. J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title “Leading According to Need” in Self-Organizing Groups Type Journal Article
  Year 2009 Publication The American Naturalist Abbreviated Journal Am Nat  
  Volume 173 Issue 3 Pages 304-312  
  Keywords behavioral synchrony, collective group decisions, democracy and egalitarianism in animals, public goods experiments, sexual segregation, social choice theory  
  Abstract Self‐organizing‐system approaches have shed significant light on the mechanisms underlying synchronized movements by large groups of animals, such as shoals of fish, flocks of birds, or herds of ungulates. However, these approaches rarely consider conflicts of interest between group members, although there is reason to suppose that such conflicts are commonplace. Here, we demonstrate that, where conflicts exist, individual members of self‐organizing groups can, in principle, increase their influence on group movement destination by strategically changing simple behavioral parameters (namely, movement speed, assertiveness, and social attraction range). However, they do so at the expense of an increased risk of group fragmentation and a decrease in movement efficiency. We argue that the resulting trade‐offs faced by each group member render it likely that group movements are led by those members for which reaching a particular destination is most crucial or group cohesion is least important. We term this phenomenon leading according to “need” or “social indifference,” respectively. Both kinds of leading can occur in the absence of knowledge of or communication about the needs of other group members and without the assumption of altruistic cooperation. We discuss our findings in the light of observations on fish and other vertebrates.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5121  
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Author Rose-Meierhöfer, S.; Standke, K.; Hoffmann, G. openurl 
  Title Auswirkungen verschiedener Gruppengrößen auf Bewegungsaktivität, Body Condition Score, Liege- und Sozialverhalten bei Jungpferden Type Journal Article
  Year 2010 Publication Züchtungskunde Abbreviated Journal Züchtungskunde  
  Volume 82 Issue 4 Pages 282–291  
  Keywords Liegen, Aktivität, Gruppenhaltung, Jungpferde, Sozialverhalten, Body Condition Score [Lying behaviour, activity behaviour, group housing, young horses, social behaviour, Body Condition Score]  
  Abstract Ziel der Untersuchung war es, herauszufinden, welche Auswirkungen eine Erhöhung der

Gruppengröße bei Jungpferden auf die Bewegungsaktivität, das Liege- und Sozialverhalten

und die Körperkondition hat. Hierfür wurden insgesamt 42 Pferde im Alter von ein

bis zwei Jahren in Laufstallhaltung in die Untersuchung einbezogen. Die Jungpferde aus

der Bewegungs- und Liegeverhaltensanalyse waren in zwei Kleingruppen (acht und

11 Tiere) und einer Großgruppe (23 Tiere) aufgestallt.

In der Bewegungsaktivität waren deutliche Unterschiede zu erkennen. Es ließ sich ein

positiver Einfluss einer höheren Tierzahl nachweisen, aber kein Einfluss des Alters. Beim

Ruheverhalten konnten höhere Liegezeiten und -frequenzen mit einer Zunahme der

Gruppengröße und eine Abnahme der Liegezeit mit zunehmendem Alter ermittelt werden.

Eine Störung des Liegeverhaltens durch Gruppengrößen, die nicht der natürlichen

Herdenstruktur des Pferdes entsprechen, wurde nicht nachgewiesen. Jedoch hatte die

Haltung der Jährlinge in der großen Gruppe einen Anstieg der repulsiven Verhaltensweisen

zur Konsequenz. Zudem zeigte die Bestimmung des Body Condition Scores

Unterschiede in der Körperkondition bei den Jährlingen der Groß- bzw. der Kleingruppe.

Einem Mangel an Bewegung, der für das Auftreten von Gliedmaßenerkrankungen und

Verhaltensstörungen verantwortlich gemacht wird, kann durch die Haltung von Jungpferden

in großen Gruppen entgegengewirkt werden.

[It is often discussed that the inactivity of horses causes diseases of their musculoskeletal system. Due to these problems the objective of the investigation was to quantify if the size of a group has an effect on the behaviour of young horses. Data from 42 horses in the age of one to two years have been involved in the investigation. The data of two small groups were compared with data of one big group with 23 horses. The movement and lying behaviour of 28 horses were measured with ALT pedometers. The social behaviour of 33 yearlings was documented by direct observation. The results show that the median of the movement time of horses in group A is 82 minutes per day. In group B this increases to a median of 101 and group C reaches the highest median of 149. In the case of lying time an increasing group size leads to a longer duration and a higher frequency of lying, whereas an increase in the age reduces the lying duration. International research studies have shown that keeping of horses in big group husbandry systems is not very common by the owners of horses. In contrast these investigations have shown that horse keeping in big groups has no negative influence on the social behaviour and the Body Condition Score of young horses.]
 
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5671  
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