Records |
Author |
Chappell, J.; Kacelnik, A. |
Title |
Tool selectivity in a non-primate, the New Caledonian crow (Corvus moneduloides) |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Animal Cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Cogn. |
Volume |
5 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
71-78 |
Keywords |
Adaptation, Psychological; Animals; *Cognition; Female; *Learning; Male; Perception; *Songbirds |
Abstract |
We present an experiment showing that New Caledonian crows are able to choose tools of the appropriate size for a novel task, without trial-and-error learning. This species is almost unique amongst all animal species (together with a few primates) in the degree of use and manufacture of polymorphic tools in the wild. However, until now, the flexibility of their tool use has not been tested. Flexibility, including the ability to select an appropriate tool for a task, is considered to be a hallmark of complex cognitive adaptations for tool use. In experiment 1, we tested the ability of two captive birds (one male, one female), to select a stick (from a range of lengths provided) matching the distance to food placed in a horizontal transparent pipe. Both birds chose tools matching the distance to their target significantly more often than would be expected by chance. In experiment 2, we used a similar task, but with the tools placed out of sight of the food pipe, such that the birds had to remember the distance of the food before selecting a tool. The task was completed only by the male, who chose a tool of sufficient length significantly more often than chance but did not show a preference for a matching length. |
Address |
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OXI 3PS, UK. jackie.chappell@zoo.ox.ac.uk |
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1435-9448 |
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PMID:12150038 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
2606 |
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Author |
Viscido, S.V.; Miller, M.; Wethey, D.S. |
Title |
The dilemma of the selfish herd: the search for a realistic movement rule |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Journal of theoretical biology |
Abbreviated Journal |
J. Theor. Biol. |
Volume |
217 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
183-194 |
Keywords |
Animals; *Behavior, Animal; *Mass Behavior; Models, Biological; *Motor Activity; Predatory Behavior |
Abstract |
The selfish herd hypothesis predicts that aggregations form because individuals move toward one another to minimize their own predation risk. The “dilemma of the selfish herd” is that movement rules that are easy for individuals to follow, fail to produce true aggregations, while rules that produce aggregations require individual behavior so complex that one may doubt most animals can follow them. If natural selection at the individual level is responsible for herding behavior, a solution to the dilemma must exist. Using computer simulations, we examined four different movement rules. Relative predation risk was different for all four movement rules (p<0.05). We defined three criteria for measuring the quality of a movement rule. A good movement rule should (a) be statistically likely to benefit an individual that follows it, (b) be something we can imagine most animals are capable of following, and (c) result in a centrally compact flock. The local crowded horizon rule, which allowed individuals to take the positions of many flock-mates into account, but decreased the influence of flock-mates with distance, best satisfied these criteria. The local crowded horizon rule was very sensitive to the animal's perceptive ability. Therefore, the animal's ability to detect its neighbors is an important factor in the dynamics of group formation. |
Address |
Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA. viscido@u.washington.edu |
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0022-5193 |
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PMID:12202112 |
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refbase @ user @ |
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554 |
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Author |
Turner, A.; Kirkpatrick, J.F. |
Title |
Effects of immunocontraception on population, longevity and body condition in wild mares (Equus caballus) |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Reproduction (Cambridge, England) Supplement |
Abbreviated Journal |
Reprod Suppl |
Volume |
60 |
Issue |
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Pages |
187-195 |
Keywords |
Animals; *Animals, Wild; Antigens/administration & dosage; Body Constitution; Contraception, Immunologic/methods/*veterinary; Egg Proteins/administration & dosage; Female; *Horses; Longevity; Membrane Glycoproteins/administration & dosage; Population Control; Population Dynamics; *Receptors, Cell Surface; Swine; Vaccines, Contraceptive/administration & dosage |
Abstract |
Contraception is becoming a common approach for the management of captive and wild ungulates yet there are few data for contraceptive effects on entire populations. Management-level treatment of mares with porcine zona pellucida (PZP) vaccine resulted in zero population growth of the Assateague Island wild horse population within 1 year of initiation of treatment. Contraceptive efficacy was 90% for mares treated twice in the first year and annually thereafter. For mares given a single initial inoculation, contraceptive efficacy was 78%. The effort required to achieve zero population growth decreased, as 95, 83 and 84% of all adult mares were treated in each of the first 3 years, compared with 59 and 52% during the last 2 years. Mortality rates for mares and foals after the initiation of management-level treatments decreased below historic and pretreatment mortality rates of approximately 5%. Two new age classes have appeared among treated animals (21-25 years and > 25 years), indicating an increase in longevity among treated animals. Body condition scores for all horses, all adult mares and non-lactating mares increased significantly between summer 1989 and autumn 1999 but did not change significantly in lactating mares. These results provide reliable data for the construction of realistic models for contraceptive management of free-roaming or captive ungulate populations. |
Address |
Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, MD 21811, USA |
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ISSN |
1477-0415 |
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Notes |
PMID:12220158 |
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no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
142 |
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Author |
Kirkpatrick, J.F.; Turner, A. |
Title |
Reversibility of action and safety during pregnancy of immunization against porcine zona pellucida in wild mares (Equus caballus) |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Reproduction (Cambridge, England) Supplement |
Abbreviated Journal |
Reprod Suppl |
Volume |
60 |
Issue |
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Pages |
197-202 |
Keywords |
Animals; *Animals, Wild; Antigens/administration & dosage; Contraception, Immunologic/methods/*veterinary; Egg Proteins/administration & dosage; Female; Fertility; *Horses; Immunization, Secondary/veterinary; Membrane Glycoproteins/administration & dosage; Population Control; Pregnancy; *Receptors, Cell Surface; Safety; Swine; Time Factors; Vaccines, Contraceptive/*administration & dosage |
Abstract |
Contraceptive management of publicly valued wildlife species requires safeguards to ensure that these populations are preserved in a healthy state. In addition, reversibility of contraceptive effects and safety in pregnant animals are major concerns. A population of wild horses has been immunized against porcine zona pellucida (PZP) over a 12 year period on Assateague Island National Seashore, MD (ASIS). Mares initially received one or two 65 microg inoculations and once a year 65 microg booster inoculations, all delivered by dart. All young mares aged > 2 years were treated with PZP for 3 consecutive years regardless of whether they have bred successfully and they were then removed from treatment until they had foaled. All mares vaccinated for 1 or 2 consecutive years became fertile again and 69% of mares treated for 3 consecutive years returned to fertility. All five mares treated for 4 or 5 consecutive years have also returned to fertility, but over longer periods of time. Mares treated for 7 consecutive years have not returned to fertility, but several, while still infertile, have started ovulating again. There was no difference in survival rates between foals born to treated and untreated mares, and PZP treatment of pregnant mares did not affect subsequent fertility of their female offspring. |
Address |
Science and Conservation Center, ZooMontana, Billings 59106, USA. zoolab@wtp.net |
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1477-0415 |
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Notes |
PMID:12220160 |
Approved |
no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
141 |
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Author |
Dorrance, B.R.; Zentall, T.R. |
Title |
Imitation of conditional discriminations in pigeons (Columba livia) |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983) |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Comp Psychol |
Volume |
116 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
277-285 |
Keywords |
Animals; Behavior, Animal/physiology; Columbidae; Conditioning (Psychology)/*physiology; Discrimination Learning/*physiology; Habituation, Psychophysiologic; *Imitative Behavior; Light; Reinforcement (Psychology) |
Abstract |
In the present experiments, the 2-action method was used to determine whether pigeons could learn to imitate a conditional discrimination. Demonstrator pigeons (Columba livia) stepped on a treadle in the presence of 1 light and pecked at the treadle in the presence of another light. Demonstration did not seem to affect acquisition of the conditional discrimination (Experiment 1) but did facilitate its reversal of the conditional discrimination (Experiments 2 and 3). The results suggest that pigeons are not only able to learn a specific behavior by observing another pigeon, but they can also learn under which circumstances to perform that behavior. The results have implications for proposed mechanisms of imitation in animals. |
Address |
Department of Psychology, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois 61201, USA. psdorrance@augustana.edu |
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0735-7036 |
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PMID:12234078 |
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no |
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refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
240 |
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Author |
Tebbich, S.; Bshary, R.; Grutter, A.S. |
Title |
Cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus recognise familiar clients |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Animal Cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Cogn. |
Volume |
5 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
139-145 |
Keywords |
Adaptation, Physiological; Animals; *Evolution; *Fishes; Motivation; *Recognition (Psychology); Social Behavior; Visual Perception |
Abstract |
Individual recognition has been attributed a crucial role in the evolution of complex social systems such as helping behaviour and cooperation. A classical example for interspecific cooperation is the mutualism between the cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus and its client reef fish species. For stable cooperation to evolve, it is generally assumed that partners interact repeatedly and remember each other's past behaviour. Repeated interactions may be achieved by site fidelity or individual recognition. However, as some cleaner fish have more than 2,300 interactions per day with various individuals per species and various species of clients, basic assumptions of cooperation theory might be violated in this mutualism. We tested the cleaner L. dimidiatus and its herbivorous client, the surgeon fish Ctenochaetus striatus, for their ability to distinguish between a familiar and an unfamiliar partner in a choice experiment. Under natural conditions, cleaners and clients have to build up their relationship, which is probably costly for both. We therefore predicted that both clients and cleaners should prefer the familiar partner in our choice experiment. We found that cleaners spent significantly more time near the familiar than the unfamiliar clients in the first 2 minutes of the experiment. This indicates the ability for individual recognition in cleaners. In contrast, the client C. striatus showed no significant preference. This could be due to a sampling artefact, possibly due to a lack of sufficient motivation. Alternatively, clients may not need to recognise their cleaners but instead remember the defined territories of L. dimidiatus to achieve repeated interactions with the same individual. |
Address |
Max Planck Institute for Behaviour and Physiology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany. tebbich@ss20.mpi-seewiesen.mpg.de |
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1435-9448 |
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PMID:12357286 |
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no |
Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
2599 |
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Author |
Pepperberg, I.M. |
Title |
The value of the Piagetian framework for comparative cognitive studies |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Animal Cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Cogn. |
Volume |
5 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
177-182 |
Keywords |
Animals; *Behavior, Animal; *Cognition; Discrimination Learning; *Intelligence; *Models, Psychological; *Models, Theoretical |
Abstract |
Although the Piagetian framework has been used by numerous researchers to compare cognitive abilities of diverse species, the system is often criticized as implemented. I examine the various criticisms, suggest ways in which the system can be improved, and argue for the need for descriptive systems such as the Piagetian framework to complement programs that look for cellular and molecular bases or mathematical models to explain behavior. |
Address |
School of Architecture and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. impepper@media.mit.edu |
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1435-9448 |
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PMID:12357290 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
2595 |
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Author |
Broom, M. |
Title |
A unified model of dominance hierarchy formation and maintenance |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Journal of theoretical biology |
Abbreviated Journal |
J. Theor. Biol. |
Volume |
219 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
63-72 |
Keywords |
Animals; *Behavior, Animal; Feeding Behavior; *Models, Psychological; *Social Dominance; Social Environment |
Abstract |
In many different species it is common for animals to spend large portions of their lives in groups. Such groups need to divide available resources amongst the individuals they contain and this is often achieved by means of a dominance hierarchy. Sometimes hierarchies are stable over a long period of time and new individuals slot into pre-determined positions, but there are many situations where this is not so and a hierarchy is formed out of a group of individuals meeting for the first time. There are several different models both of the formation of such dominance hierarchies and of already existing hierarchies. These models often treat the two phases as entirely separate, whereas in reality, if there is a genuine formation phase to the hierarchy, behaviour in this phase will be governed by the rewards available, which in turn depends upon how the hierarchy operates once it has been formed. This paper describes a method of unifying models of these two distinct phases, assuming that the hierarchy formed is stable. In particular a framework is introduced which allows a variety of different models of each of the two parts to be used in conjunction with each other, thus enabling a wide range of situations to be modelled. Some examples are given to show how this works in practice. |
Address |
Centre for Statistics and Stochastic Modelling, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QH, U.K. m.broom@sussex.ac.uk |
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0022-5193 |
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PMID:12392975 |
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no |
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refbase @ user @ |
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439 |
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Author |
Waite, T.A. |
Title |
Interruptions improve choice performance in gray jays: prolonged information processing versus minimization of costly errors |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Animal Cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Cogn. |
Volume |
5 |
Issue |
4 |
Pages |
209-214 |
Keywords |
Animals; *Behavior, Animal; *Choice Behavior; Female; Learning; Male; Models, Biological; Motivation; Reinforcement Schedule; Songbirds/*physiology; Time Factors |
Abstract |
Under the assumption that selection favors minimization of costly errors, erroneous choice may be common when its fitness cost is low. According to an adaptive-choice model, this cost depends on the rate at which an animal encounters the choice: the higher this rate, the smaller the cost of choosing a less valuable option. Errors should thus be more common when interruptions to foraging are shorter. A previous experiment supported this prediction: gray jays, Perisoreus canadensis, were more error prone when subjected to shorter delays to access to food rewards. This pattern, though, is also predicted by an attentional-constraints model. Because the subjects were able to inspect the rewards during delays, their improved performance when subjected to longer delays could have been a byproduct of the experimentally prolonged opportunity for information processing. To evaluate this possibility, a follow-up experiment manipulated both delay to access and whether rewards could be inspected during delays. Depriving jays of the opportunity to inspect rewards (using opaque lids) induced only a small, nonsignificant increase in error rate. This effect was independent of length of delay and so the jays' improved performance when subjected to longer delays was not simply a byproduct of prolonged information processing. More definitively, even when the jays were prevented from inspecting rewards during delays, their performance improved when subjected to longer delays. The findings are thus consistent with the adaptive-choice model. |
Address |
Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 1735 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210-1293, USA. waite.1@osu.edu |
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1435-9448 |
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PMID:12461598 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
2592 |
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Author |
Conradt, L.; Roper, T.J. |
Title |
Group decision-making in animals |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2003 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
Volume |
421 |
Issue |
6919 |
Pages |
155-158 |
Keywords |
Animals; Behavior, Animal/*physiology; *Decision Making; Democracy; Group Processes; *Models, Biological; Population Density; Social Behavior |
Abstract |
Groups of animals often need to make communal decisions, for example about which activities to perform, when to perform them and which direction to travel in; however, little is known about how they do so. Here, we model the fitness consequences of two possible decision-making mechanisms: 'despotism' and 'democracy'. We show that under most conditions, the costs to subordinate group members, and to the group as a whole, are considerably higher for despotic than for democratic decisions. Even when the despot is the most experienced group member, it only pays other members to accept its decision when group size is small and the difference in information is large. Democratic decisions are more beneficial primarily because they tend to produce less extreme decisions, rather than because each individual has an influence on the decision per se. Our model suggests that democracy should be widespread and makes quantitative, testable predictions about group decision-making in non-humans. |
Address |
School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK. l.conradt@sussex.ac.uk |
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0028-0836 |
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PMID:12520299 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
5136 |
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