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Author Huber, L.; Gajdon, G.K. doi  openurl
  Title Technical intelligence in animals: the kea model Type Journal Article
  Year 2006 Publication Animal Cognition Abbreviated Journal Anim. Cogn.  
  Volume 9 Issue 4 Pages 295-305  
  Keywords Animals; *Comprehension; *Intelligence; Models, Psychological; Observation; *Parrots; *Problem Solving; Psychological Theory; Social Environment; *Tool Use Behavior  
  Abstract The ability to act on information flexibly is one of the cornerstones of intelligent behavior. As particularly informative example, tool-oriented behavior has been investigated to determine to which extent nonhuman animals understand means-end relations, object affordances, and have specific motor skills. Even planning with foresight, goal-directed problem solving and immediate causal inference have been a focus of research. However, these cognitive abilities may not be restricted to tool-using animals but may be found also in animals that show high levels of curiosity, object exploration and manipulation, and extractive foraging behavior. The kea, a New Zealand parrot, is a particularly good example. We here review findings from laboratory experiments and field observations of keas revealing surprising cognitive capacities in the physical domain. In an experiment with captive keas, the success rate of individuals that were allowed to observe a trained conspecific was significantly higher than that of naive control subjects due to their acquisition of some functional understanding of the task through observation. In a further experiment using the string-pulling task, a well-probed test for means-end comprehension, we found the keas finding an immediate solution that could not be improved upon in nine further trials. We interpreted their performance as insightful in the sense of being sensitive of the relevant functional properties of the task and thereby producing a new adaptive response without trial-and-error learning. Together, these findings contribute to the ongoing debate on the distribution of higher cognitive skills in the animal kingdom by showing high levels of sensorimotor intelligence in animals that do not use tools. In conclusion, we suggest that the 'Technical intelligence hypothesis' (Byrne, Machiavellian intelligence II: extensions and evaluations, pp 289-211, 1997), which has been proposed to explain the origin of the ape/monkey grade-shift in intelligence by a selection pressure upon an increased efficiency in foraging behavior, should be extended, that is, applied to some birds as well.  
  Address Department for Behavior, Neurobiology and Cognition, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria. ludwig.huber@univie.ac.at  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
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  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1435-9448 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:16909237 Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 2085  
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Author Lamoot, I.; Callebaut, J.; Demeulenaere, E.; Vandenberghe, C.; Hoffmann, M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Foraging behaviour of donkeys grazing in a coastal dune area in temperate climate conditions Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 92 Issue 1-2 Pages 93-112  
  Keywords Grazing behaviour; Habitat use; Donkey; Equid; Diet composition  
  Abstract A small herd of donkeys was introduced in a coastal dune reserve `Houtsaegerduinen' (ca. 80 ha) in Belgium, in order to slow down expansion of dominant grass and shrub species. The Houtsaegerduinen is a nutrient poor scrub-dominated dune system with a spatially heterogeneous vegetation pattern. Different aspects of the grazing behaviour (grazing time, bite rate, habitat use, diet composition) of the free-ranging donkeys are described and analysed. Behavioural data (of maximum six adult mares) were collected through continuous focal animal observation in three consecutive years (1998-2001). Temporal variation in grazing time, habitat use and diet composition was determined. During daylight, donkeys spent most of their time on grazing (56%). In all 3 years, grazing time was significantly shorter in summer (45% of their time), longest grazing times were achieved in spring (64%). In spring, the donkeys also achieved the highest bite rate (21.5 bites/min). The grassy habitat was preferred for foraging in all seasons, while the use of scrub and woodland was variable over time. Averaged over the four seasons, the general diet consisted for 80% of graminoids, 10% of forbs and 10% of woody plants. However, diet composition varied not only among seasons and years, but depended also on the foraged habitat type. We discuss the possible role of the donkeys in nature management.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2338  
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Author Visalberghi E; Trinca L doi  openurl
  Title Tool use in capuchin monkeys: distinguishing between performing and understanding Type Journal Article
  Year 1989 Publication Primates Abbreviated Journal Primates  
  Volume 30 Issue Pages 511  
  Keywords Tool use – Cebus apella – Mental representation  
  Abstract A horizontal plexiglas tube containing a food-reward was presented to four naive tufted capuchins and suitable sticks were provided to push the reward out. Three monkeys out of four spontaneously used the tools and showed very different styles of solving the task. In more complex conditions, in which the sticks needed to be combined or actively modified in order to become effective, the monkeys were always successful; however, their performance was loaded with errors which did not disappear throughout the trials. Evidence of a difference between success in solving the problem and its understanding was found. This suggests that although capuchins can discover new means through active experimentation, they do not mentally represent the characteristics necessary for a tool to be effective, nor do they modify the tool appropriately beforehand. At this level, a major difference with chimpanzees emerges.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3047  
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Author Autio, E.; Heiskanen, M.-L. doi  openurl
  Title Foal behaviour in a loose housing/paddock environment during winter Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 91 Issue 3-4 Pages 277-288  
  Keywords Foal behaviour; Horse; Loose house; Time budget; Weather  
  Abstract The aim of this study was to establish some basic facts about weanling horse (Equus caballus) behaviour in a loose housing/paddock environment during winter. The behaviour of 10 foals (seven American Standardbred and three Finnish cold-blooded foals) was observed in a cold loose housing/paddock environment from December 2002 to March 2003. The time budget, circadian rhythm and effect of weather conditions on behaviour were examined. The foals were observed for a total of 23 24-h periods by video recording. The method used was instantaneous sampling (), where the locations of foals were noted at every 15 min along with the behaviour performed at that time. Temperature, humidity and wind speed were recorded three times a day. The foals spent 43.2 +/- 6.6% of the time in the sleeping hall (an insulated building with a deep-litter bed), 51.4 +/- 5.8% in the open paddock and 5.2 +/- 2.7% in the shelter (a two-sided, roofed entrance shelter in front of the sleeping hall). The time spent outdoors was greatest between the hours of 08:00 and 20:00, but the foals spent some time outdoors also at night. They spent most of the day eating hay (27.6 +/- 3.0%) (offered ad libitum), standing (25.5 +/- 2.8%) and resting (32.1 +/- 2.4%). The proportion of locomotive behaviour patterns was 5% of the observations. The foals in this study were able to perform species-specific behaviour patterns (resting, eating, being active) and to follow the natural circadian rhythm of these patterns. The behaviour of the foals did not change much as the temperature dropped from 0 to -20 [degree sign]C. The time spent in the sleeping hall did not increase greatly, nor the time spent eating, resting or lying close to each other (huddling). On the basis of their behaviour, the weanling horses did not seem to suffer from the cold environment.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3632  
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Author Tomasello, M.; Davis-Dasilva, M.; Camak, L.; Bard, K. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Observational learning of tool-use by young chimpanzees Type Journal Article
  Year 1987 Publication Abbreviated Journal Human Evolution  
  Volume 2 Issue 2 Pages 175-183  
  Keywords Chimpanzees; Observational Learning; Tool-Use  
  Abstract In the current study two groups of young chimpanzees (4–6 and 8–9 years old) were given a T-bar and a food item that could only be reached by using the T-bar. Experimental subjects were given the opportunity to observe an adult using the stick as a tool to obtain the food; control subjects were exposed to the adult but were given no demonstration. Subjects in the older group did not learn to use the tool. Subjects in the younger group who were exposed to the demonstrator learned to use the stick as a tool much more readily than those who were not. None of the subjects demonstrated an ability to imitatively copy the demonstrator's precise behavioral strategies. More than simple stimulus enhancement was involved, however, since both groups manipulated the T-bar, but only experimental subjects used it in its function as a tool. Our findings complement naturalistic observations in suggesting that chimpanzee tool-use is in some sense «culturally transmitted» — though perhaps not in the same sense as social-conventional behaviors for which precise copying of conspecifics is crucial.  
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  Publisher Kluwer Academic Publishers Place of Publication (down) Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
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  ISSN 0393-9375 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5915  
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Author Elsaesser, F.; Klobasa, F.; Ellendorff, F. openurl 
  Title ACTH stimulation test for the determination of salivary cortisol and of cortisol responses as markers of the training status/fitness of warm-blooded sports horses] Type Journal Article
  Year 2001 Publication DTW. Deutsche Tierarztliche Wochenschrift Abbreviated Journal Dtsch Tierarztl Wochenschr  
  Volume 108 Issue 1 Pages 31-36  
  Keywords Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/*diagnostic use; Animals; Health; Horses/*physiology; Hydrocortisone/*analysis/*secretion; Male; Orchiectomy; *Physical Conditioning, Animal; Running; Saliva/*chemistry; Walking  
  Abstract Previous work (Marc et al., 2000) suggested that plasma cortisol responses to treadmill exercise or ACTH injection are a reliable marker for performance evaluation in warmblood horses. For practical purposes blood sample collections and treadmill exercise tests are somewhat troublesome and time consuming. The goal of this study was thus to evaluate the use of saliva for cortisol determination (by direct EIA) as a marker for performance and to investigate the reliability and repeatability of plasma cortisol responses to a single i.v. injection of ACTH (50 micrograms or 250 micrograms). Furthermore, the effect of training horses for 8 weeks 3 times per week covering the same distance (increasing from 3.5 km during the first week to 8 km during the last week) either by trotting (approximately 240 m/min) or by cantering (375 m/min) was investigated. For this purpose initially ten four-year-old Hannovarian geldings, all reared in the same State stud, were used. Mean overall correlation between salivary cortisol and plasma cortisol concentrations was 0.64 when samples of various points of time were used. However, in spite of attempts to standardize saliva sample collection, correlation between salivary cortisol levels and plasma cortisol levels at distinct points of time in different tests were low and significant (r = 0.85, p < 0.02) only in one test. Thus, salivary cortisol measurements for diagnostic purposes are not reliable or useful. The repeatability of plasma cortisol responses to ACTH for untrained and trained horses were r = 0.86 and r = 0.8 respectively (p < or = 0.01 and p < or = 0.05 respectively). Training horses either by trotting or cantering did not affect the cortisol response either to treadmill exercise or to stimulation by ACTH. It is concluded that the relationship between salivary cortisol levels and plasma cortisol levels is not close enough to allow the use of salivary cortisol determination as marker of the training status/fitness of horses. The repeatability of the cortisol response to ACTH is similar to the cortisol response to treadmill exercise. Based on plasma cortisol responses to ACTH or treadmill exercise training horses by cantering at low speed is not superior to training by trotting for the fitness of horses.  
  Address Institut fur Tierzucht und Tierverhalten Mariensee (FAL), Holtystrasse 10, 31535 Neustadt. elsaesser@tzv.fal.de  
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  Language German Summary Language Original Title ACTH Stimulationstest und Bestimmung von Cortisol im Blut und Speichel zur Bewertung des Trainingszustands/der Kondition beim Warmblutpferd  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0341-6593 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:11232423 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4053  
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Author Stahl, F.; Dorner, G. openurl 
  Title Responses of salivary cortisol levels to stress-situations Type Journal Article
  Year 1982 Publication Endokrinologie Abbreviated Journal Endokrinologie  
  Volume 80 Issue 2 Pages 158-162  
  Keywords Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/diagnostic use; Anxiety Disorders/metabolism; Circadian Rhythm; Cushing Syndrome/metabolism; Fear/physiology; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone/*metabolism; Male; Pain/metabolism; Pregnancy; Saliva/*metabolism; Stress/*metabolism  
  Abstract A procedure is described for determining salivary cortisol levels by a competitive protein-binding assay using horse transcortin. The collection of saliva was performed by means of filter paper-strips. Filter paper samples are more than 5 days stable after air-drying. In this form, the samples could be stored without refrigerator or deep-freezer and, if necessary, sent by post to the laboratory without any special precaution. Stressful situation of either painful or anxious origin were associated with an adequate increase of salivary cortisol levels. The increases were 157 to 230% of the initial or normal values dependent on the kind of stress. The mean values in 4 cases of Cushing's syndrome were 380% and 1 hour after 25 I.U. ACTH 690% higher than those in normal persons. In normal persons, a well-defined circadian rhythm has been observed.  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
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  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0013-7251 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:6297880 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 4056  
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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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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4274  
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Author Jonart, L.M.; Hill, G.E.; Badyaev, A.V. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Fighting ability and motivation: determinants of dominance and contest strategies in females of a passerine bird Type Journal Article
  Year 2007 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 74 Issue 6 Pages 1675-1681  
  Keywords aggression; Carpodacus mexicanus; communication; house finch; passerines; resource holding potential  
  Abstract The communication of aggressive motivation or fighting ability has important fitness consequences for competing animals. Selection should favour rapid and honest communication between opponents to settle dominance relationships while avoiding prolonged and intense fighting. We investigated factors that influence fighting strategies and contest outcomes in female house finches, Carpodacus mexicanus, specifically focusing on the following questions. (1) What social contexts trigger an aggressive response? (2) Does body size and condition contribute to female fighting ability? (3) Do contextual factors, such as mate presence, nest status, nest proximity, and site experience contribute to fighting motivation? (4) Does contest intensity and duration increase as the differences in fighting ability between opponents decrease? (5) What is the relative contribution of fighting ability and aggressive motivation to the outcome of a contest? We found that aggression was triggered most frequently by female intrusions in the vicinity of nest and by extrapair female intrusions on an established pair. Female fighting and contest outcomes were strongly influenced by body condition and body size, and females were more motivated to initiate fights and won more contests when their mates were present. Females at the later breeding stages and those fighting closer to their nests were dominant and won more fights compared to females at earlier breeding stages or further from their nests. Females initiated a greater proportion of contests against opponents with similar local familiarity and breeding history. Escalated and prolonged contests, while rare, occurred exclusively between females of the most similar body size and condition. When differences in body condition between opponents are not easily perceived, contestants might escalate contests for more reliable assessments of relative fighting ability. Finally, body condition was not a strong determinant of contest outcome in the contexts with easily assessed differences in the resource value (e.g. mate presence), but without these motivational differences, body condition was the ultimate determinant of contest outcomes.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4317  
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Author Beck, B.B. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Chimpocentrism: Bias in cognitive ethology Type Journal Article
  Year 1982 Publication Journal of Human Evolution Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 3-17  
  Keywords herring gull; chimpanzee; cognition; tool-use; shell-dropping; mollusk; predation  
  Abstract Herring gulls drop hard-shelled mollusks and hermit crab-inhabited molluskan prey in order to break the shells and gain access to the edible interior. A field study of predatory shell dropping on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, U.S.A. showed that the gulls usually drop the same shell repeatedly, orient directly to dropping sites that are invisible from the point at which the mollusks are captured, drop preferentially on hard surfaces, adjust dropping heights to suit the area and elasticity of the substrate, orient directly into the wind while dropping, sever the large defensive cheliped of hermit crabs before consumption, and rinse prey that is difficult to swallow. Proficiency in prey dropping is acquired through dropping objects in play, trial-and-error learning, and perhaps, observation learning.

Observable attributes of predatory shell-dropping support inferences that the gulls are capable of extended concentration, purposefulness, mental representation of spatially and temporally displaced environmental features, cognitive mapping, cognitive modeling, selectivity, and strategy formation. Identical cognitive processes have been inferred to underlie the most sophisticated forms of chimpanzee tool-use.

Advanced cognitive capacities are not restricted to chimpanzees and other pongids, and are not associated uniquely with tool use. The chimpocentric bias should be abandoned, and reconstructions of the evolution of intelligence should be modified accordingly.
 
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4414  
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