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Author Monard, A.-M.; Duncan, P.; Fritz, H.; Feh, C. doi  openurl
  Title Variations in the birth sex ratio and neonatal mortality in a natural herd of horses Type Journal Article
  Year 1997 Publication Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Abbreviated Journal Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol.  
  Volume 41 Issue 4 Pages 243-249  
  Keywords  
  Abstract Variations in birth sex ratios and sex differences in juvenile mortality occur in a number of mammalian species, and in many cases have been linked to resource availability. Most of these biases in offspring sex ratios concern polygynous species with pronounced sexual dimorphism, and where females only are philopatric. Data on species with unusual life-history strategies, such as slight sexual dimorphism or dispersal by both sexes, are of particular interest. In this study of a natural herd of horses (Equus caballus) which experienced an eruptive cycle, and therefore a period of nutritional stress, male offspring had higher neonatal mortality rates in nutritionally poor years than in good ones, whereas “year quality” had no effect on the mortality of female offspring; year quality could therefore be used by mares as predictor of sex-specific offspring survival. We show that the environmental conditions that predicted lower survival of males were negatively related to their production: the birth sex ratio the following year was female-biased; and mares were less likely to produce a son when they had produced a son the preceding year. There was no significant effect of mother's parity, age or rank, or the timing of conception or birth on offspring sex ratios. The mechanism leading to biases in the birth sex ratio could have been the loss of male embryos by mares that did not foal. As there was no evidence for selective abortion of male foetuses in females that did foal the next year, it is not necessary to invoke maternal adjustment, though this remains a possibility. Finally, there was a suggestion that male offspring were more costly to raise than females, since mothers that reared a son in poor years tended to experience an increase in the interbirth interval between their two subsequent offspring.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2388  
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Author Gallagher, M.; Rapp, P.R. url  doi
openurl 
  Title The Use Of Animal Models To Study The Effects Of Aging On Cognition Type Journal Article
  Year 1997 Publication Annual Review of Psychology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 48 Issue 1 Pages 339-370  
  Keywords  
  Abstract This review addresses the importance of animal models for understanding the effects of normal aging on the brain and cognitive functions. First, studies of laboratory animals can help to distinguish between healthy aging and pathological conditions that may contribute to cognitive decline late in life. Second, research on individual differences in aging, a theme of interest in studies of elderly human beings, can be advanced by the experimental control afforded in the use of animal models. The review offers a neuropsychological framework to compare the effects of aging in human beings, monkeys, and rodents. We consider aging in relation to the role of the medial temporal lobe in memory, the information processing functions of the prefrontal cortex in the strategic use of memory, and the regulation of attention by distributed neural circuitry. We also provide an overview of the neurobiological effects of aging that may account for alterations in psychological functions.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2971  
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Author Flannery, B. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Relational discrimination learning in horses Type Journal Article
  Year 1997 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 54 Issue 4 Pages 267-280  
  Keywords Horses; Shaping; Complex discrimination; Concept formation; Generalization ability; Training  
  Abstract This series of studies investigated horses' ability to learn the concept of sameness under several different conditions. Before experimentation began, three horses were shaped to touch individually presented stimuli with their muzzles, and then to make two responses to two matching cards from an array of three. A modified version of the identity matching-to-sample (IMTS) procedure was used to present stimuli in a variety of configural arrangements on a barn wall (Experiment 1 and Experiment 2), and on a flat panel mounted to a barn door (Experiment 3). The task in each experiment was to select the two stimulus cards that were the same (either circles or Xs) and to avoid the nonmatching stimulus card (either a star or a square). In Experiment 1, the mean accuracy rate for selecting the matching alternatives was 74%. The horses' accuracy levels reached a mean level of 83% during Experiment 2, in which they received additional trials and an intermittent secondary reinforcement schedule. In Experiment 3, when the stimuli were moved further apart from each other within arrangements and were presented on a novel background, the mean accuracy rate was 73%. These data demonstrate that horses can learn complex discrimination problems involving the concept of sameness, and that they are able to generalize this learning to a novel stimulus presentation situation. These results also suggest that a relational discrimination test may be useful for assessing horses' learning ability and the level of training appropriate for individual horses.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3557  
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Author Le Scolan, N.; Hausberger, M.; Wolff, A. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Stability over situations in temperamental traits of horses as revealed by experimental and scoring approaches Type Journal Article
  Year 1997 Publication Behavioural Processes Abbreviated Journal Behav. Process.  
  Volume 41 Issue 3 Pages 257-266  
  Keywords Behavioural tests; Horse; Ratings; Temperament  
  Abstract Individual behavioural reactions of adult horses in a variety of experimental tests were compared with ratings by riding teachers. The tests were made in a non working situation, with the animals being released in an arena, a box (arena test, new object test, learning tests) or handled (new object/handling situation). The traits rated by teachers were fearfulness, nervousness, gregariousness and learning abilities at work (ridden or handled). Despite a great homogeneity in the reactions exhibited by the horses in the different situations, large individual differences were present. Correlations appeared between the reactivity in the arena test and the score of gregariousness, between the reactivity in the novel object test and the rating of nervousness when ridden, between the results in the handling test and the rating of general fearfulness and between the ability to memorise an instrumental task and the score of general learning ability. Such results strengthen the idea that there are underlying behavioural dispositions that are stable across situations and that the experimental tests may be good predictors of the temperament in untrained animals.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3591  
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Author Rundgren, M.; Nordin, A. openurl 
  Title Personality profile and simple learning tests for horses Type Journal Article
  Year 1997 Publication Proceedings of the 48th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Animal Production Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 1-4  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher (up) Place of Publication Vienna Editor  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3598  
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Author Foster, T.M.; Matthews, L.R.; Temple, W.; Poling, A. url  openurl
  Title Concurrent schedule performance in domestic goats: persistent undermatching Type Journal Article
  Year 1997 Publication Behavioural Processes Abbreviated Journal Behav. Process.  
  Volume 40 Issue 3 Pages 231-237  
  Keywords Matching equation; Undermatching; Variable-interval schedule; Nose-press response; Goats  
  Abstract Performance of nine domestic goats responding under concurrent variable-interval variable-interval schedules of food delivery was examined, with results analyzed in terms of the generalized matching equation. Substantial undermatching of response and time allocation ratios to obtained reinforcement ratios was evident. Post-reinforcement pause time ratios approximately matched obtained reinforcement ratios. Subtracting these times from total time allocation values yielded net time allocation ratios, which undermatched obtained reinforcement ratios to a greater degree than whole-session time allocation ratios. Slopes of regression lines relating behavioral outputs to environmental inputs characteristically were below 0.6, which is similar to previous findings in dairy cows tested under comparable conditions.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3602  
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Author Foster, T.M.; Temple, W.; Cameron, B.; Poling, A. url  openurl
  Title Demand curves for food in hens: Similarity under fixed-ratio and progressive-ratio schedules Type Journal Article
  Year 1997 Publication Behavioural Processes Abbreviated Journal Behav. Process.  
  Volume 39 Issue 2 Pages 177-185  
  Keywords Progressive-ratio schedule; Fixed-ratio schedule; Demand curves; Behavioral economics; Animal welfare; Keypecking; Chickens  
  Abstract Demand curves were generated for five domestic hens under progressive-ratio 5 schedules of food delivery and under fixed-ratio schedules of food delivery that began at fixed-ratio 5 and were incremented by 5 each session. All sessions ended after 10 consecutive minutes without a response. Although response rates at a given ratio were higher under the progressive-ratio schedule, all hens completed higher ratios under the fixed-ratio schedule. Similar, but not identical, demand curves were generated under progressive-ratio and fixed-ratio schedules. Under both schedules, consumption (reinforcers earned) decreased as cost (ratio size) increased. Data generally were well described by an equation in which elasticity of demand is constant, although an equation in which elasticity could vary accounted for slightly more of the variance.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3603  
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Author Beaugrand, J.P doi  openurl
  Title Relative importance of initial individual differences, agonistic experience, and assessment accuracy during hierarchy formation: a simulation study Type Journal Article
  Year 1997 Publication Behavioural Processes Abbreviated Journal Behav. Process.  
  Volume 41 Issue Pages 177-192  
  Keywords Dominance; Hierarchy formation; RHP; Agonistic experience; Assessment; Self-organization; Simulation  
  Abstract This simulation study explores some conditions leading to transitivity within dominance orders. Combinations of three parameters were varied to study their consequences upon hierarchy formation and upon the degree of linearity of resultant structures. The factors studied were: (1) the importance of initial resource holding potentials (RHPs); (2) changes brought in RHPs by successive victories and defeats; and (3) accuracy of RHP assessment made by opponents. Results show that initial differences in RHP always lead to perfectly transitive chains whose rank order reflects the importance of initial differences. Even when simulated animals make important errors while assessing each other during round robin tournaments, emerging dominance structures are perfectly linear and ranks obtained in the structure are highly correlated with initial values in RHPs. Moreover, accumulated experiences of victory and/or defeat alone always lead to perfectly linear hierarchies. Their combination with initial individual differences in RHP led to the same conclusion. Even when assessment was far from being perfect, not only perfect chains were formed but initial values in RHPs significantly influenced rank order when the contribution of victory and defeat to RHP was relatively unimportant. The higher the importance of victory and defeat to RHP as compared to that of initial RHP values, the lower was the correlation between initial RHP values and the ranks order reached by individuals in the resultant hierarchies. In general also, the lower the variation within initial RHPs, the lower was the correlation between initial RHPs and ranks in the hierarchy. At a given level of initial RHP dispersion, increasing the contribution of victory and defeat to RHP diminished the correlation between initial RHP values and obtained ranks. In addition, inaccurate assessment reduced the overall correlation, especially when dispersion of initial RHP values was low and the contribution of victory and defeat relatively unimportant. These results shed some light on the controversy about the respective roles of initial individual attributes and that of patterns of resolution in the formation of animal hierarchies. We present the emergence of social order within closed systems as those simulated here as a case of self-organization.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4290  
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Author Kaseda, Y.; Ogawa, H.; Khalil, A.M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Causes of natal dispersal and emigration and their effects on harem formation in Misaki feral horses Type Journal Article
  Year 1997 Publication Equine Veterinary Journal Abbreviated Journal Equine Vet J  
  Volume 29 Issue 4 Pages 262-266  
  Keywords Age Factors; Animal Migration; Animals; Animals, Wild; *Behavior, Animal/physiology; Female; Horses/*physiology/psychology; Male; Reproduction; Seasons; Sexual Behavior, Animal; *Social Behavior  
  Abstract Misaki feral horses were separated into 2 herds and the difference between dispersal from natal group (natal dispersal) and dispersal from natal area (natal emigration) was studied. The causes of dispersal and emigration and their effects on harem formation were studied 1979-1994. The number of horses ranged from 73 (mature males: 8, mature females: 26, young males: 8, young females: 3, colt foals: 6, filly foals: 10 and geldings: 12) in 1979 and 86 (mature males: 14, mature females: 37, young males: 12, young females: 7, colt foals: 5, filly foals: 7 and geldings: 4) in 1994 when the present study ended. All 29 males which survived to age 4 years and 58 females which survived to age 3 years left their natal or mother groups at age one to 3. Seventeen of 22 dispersing males and 29 of 39 dispersing females left their natal groups around the birth of their siblings and significant correlations were found between natal dispersal and birth of a sibling. The number of emigrating young males correlated negatively and significantly with the total number of young males in another herd and the number of emigrating young females correlated positively and significantly with the total number of young females in the natal herd. All 13 emigrating stallions which survived to age 5 years formed stable harem groups and a significant correlation was found between natal emigration and harem formation. Twenty-three of 35 resident mares formed stable consort relations with harem stallions and a significant correlation was found between residence and formation of stable consort relations.  
  Address Faculty of Agriculture, Miyazaki University, Miyazaki-shi, 889-21, Japan  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
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  ISSN 0425-1644 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:15338905 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4630  
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Author Lefebvre, L.; Whittle, P.; Lascaris, E.; Finkelstein, A. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Feeding innovations and forebrain size in birds Type Journal Article
  Year 1997 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 53 Issue 3 Pages 549-560  
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  Abstract The links between ecology, behavioural plasticity and brain size are often tested via the comparative method. Given the problems in interpretating comparative tests of learning and cognition, however, alternative measures of plasticity need to be developed. From the short notes section of nine ornithological journals, two separate, exhaustive data sets have been collated on opportunistic foraging innovations in birds of North America (1973-1993;N=196) and the British Isles (1983-1993;N=126). Both the absolute and relative frequencies (corrected for species number per order) of innovations differ between bird orders in a similar fashion in the two geographical zones. Absolute and relative frequency of innovations per order are also related to two measures of relative forebrain size in the two zones. The study confirms predicted trends linking opportunism, brain size and rate of structural evolution. It also suggests that innovation rate in the field may be a useful measure of behavioural plasticity.  
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  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0003-3472 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4740  
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