Abstract: Dominance relations between free-living, female red deer (hinds) (Cervus elaphus L.) on the Isle of Rhum, Scotland, were investigated. Most interactions were won by the older hind of the pair and this was the case even when both individuals had reached full body size. The younger hind was more likely to be the winner if the conflict was escalated or if the two hinds were strangers, in which case escalation was more frequent than usual. When outside their normal home range, older hinds were much more likely to lose, and younger ones more likely to win, than usual. These results can be best explained by the hinds using previous experience as a cue for conventional resolution of conflict, with the result that dominance relationships established early in life are perpetuated. No such cue is available if the hinds have not previously met.

Abstract: INTRODUCTION Africa is the earth's second largest continent, comprising 20% of its surface. Largely tropical, Africa extends as well into temperate zones to 37 N and 35 S. Eastern and southern Africa display steep elevation gradients due to the prevalence there of volcanic orogeny and rifting (29). Local landscapes are distinguished by substantial geological heterogeneity, dissected land forms, and resultant steep gradients of precipitation and vegetation. The consequent pronounced fragnientation of habitats and sharp juxtaposition of distinct vegetation types, combined with climatic oscillations in geological time, contributed to major adaptive radiations of the mammalian fauna (102, 120). Early zoological expeditions recorded that habitat fragmentation and wide spatial variation of animal densities and diversities were distinctive features of African ecosystems (92, 138, 162, 226). Those early records provided the bases of natural history information on animal distributions, habitat preferences, feeding habits, and general ecology; scientific research followed only much later (201). Modem scientific study of African savanna-grassland mammals began in the 1950s (23, 24, 107, 108, 148, 149, 197,203, 204, 210,230), long after the distributions and densities of the major game animals had been affected by growing human populations, colonial land and hunting policies, and virulent exotic diseases that affected the animals both directly and indirectly (57). The mammalian fauna has been increasingly isolated and fragmented within game reserves of varying size, habitat diversity, and animal species diversity; the ability to sustain it in the absence of active management is increasingly questioned (112, 187). For species with population sizes greater than 100 individuals, game reserve area (A) and faunal ...

Abstract: Dominance hierarchies were determined in four bands of feral horses living on Assateague Island. The bands varied in size from 10 to 16 horses, and consisted of one stallion, several mares and their offspring. The animals ranged in age from less than 1 to over 18 years. Field observation of all social interactions during the summer of 1981 was used to determine dominance. 1981 hierarchies for three of the bands were compared with hierarchies determined for the same bands in 1978, and showed that hierarchies change over time. Age was significantly correlated with rank. Mares with foals did not rank any higher in the hierarchies than mares without foals. Kinship did not appear to have an effect on dominance rank either, since neither juvenile nor adult offspring ranks correlated with the ranks of their mothers. The band stallion was not the highest-ranking animal of any band, but the location of the stallion peripheral to the main body of the band, the nature of his interactions with band members, and his length of residence in the band may have contributed to his low rank.

Abstract: Sixteen Quarter Horses were randomly divided into two groups after sorting by age and sex. After a 10-day preconditioning period, each animal was scored for emotionality and trainability. Each group then completed a series of learning tasks in a modified T-maze for 20 consecutive days. Group P/D was initially tested on a simple place-learning task, while Group D/P was trained in a visual discrimination task. The groups were tested alternately on the two tasks with 10-day extinction periods between each task. Upon reaching a criterion of 11 of 12 correct responses (the last 8 responses consecutive), a horse was retired for the day. If this criterion was not attained, the horse completed 20 trials. Learning occurred at a faster rate on the discrimination tasks compared to the gradual learning curves observed on place tasks. Animals learned more rapidly and reached higher levels of performance as the series of tasks progressed. Trainability and emotionality scores tended to predict the final level of learning achieved. Correlations of performance ranks within emotionality and training groups were higher between tasks of the same type than between the different tasks. Rank correlations between odd and even days on each task indicated that the within-group rankings were more consistent on the discrimination task than on the place task.

Abstract: Forty weanling Quarter Horses, from the Pitchfork Ranch, Dickens, Texas, were randomly assigned to one of five groups based on the amount of handling they would receive. The five groups were: (1) limited handling; (2) 1 week of handling; (3) 2 weeks of handling; (4) 3 weeks of handling; (5) continuous handling for 18 months. As 2-year-olds, the horses were tested in a simple place-learning T-maze after being preconditioned. A maximum of 30 daily trials were conducted for 20 consecutive days, with feed location alternating between sides on successive days. If a horse met the criterion of 11 out of 12 correct responses with 8 correct responses being consecutive, it was retired without completing the 30 trials. Group 1 made fewer correct responses during the 20 days than any other group except Group 3. All groups achieved learning by Day 10, but the most-handled group reached a consistently higher percentage of correct responses earlier than the less-handled groups. Group 5, the group receiving the most handling, was the least emotional, as determined by the animals' reactivity to a novel stimulus, and received the highest scores for trainability after being ridden. Preconditioning trainability scores, or estimates of the horses' ability to learn prior to conditioning and testing, tended to predict maze-learning ability. These scores were also significantly correlated with post-maze training scores.