Abstract: There is increasing evidence from both observational and experimental studies that females may copy each other's mating decisions. Female copying can be defined as a type of nonindependent choice in which the probability that a female chooses a given male increases if other females have chosen that male and decreases if they have not. The important characteristic of copying behavior that separates it from other similar processes is that the change in the probability of choice is strictly because of the actions of other females and not the consequences of those actions (e.g., a male's behavior changing as a result of successful matings). A gametheory model suggests that the adaptive significance of female copying may depend primarily on the ratio of the costs to the benefits of active mate choice. Copying behavior, and more generally conspecific cueing, may be important in many behavioral processes beyond mate choice.

Abstract: During contests animals typically exchange information about fighting ability. Among feral horses these signals involve olfactory or acoustical elements and each type can effectively terminate contests before physical contact becomes necessary. Dung transplant experiments show that for stallions, irrespective of rank, olfactory signals such as dung sniffing encode information about familiarity suggesting that such signals can be used as signatures. As such they can provide indirect information about fighting ability as long as opponents associate identity with past performance. Play-back experiments, however, show that vocalizations, such as squeals, directly provide information about status regardless of stallion familiarity. Sonographs reveal that squeals of dominants are longer than those of subordinates and that only those of dominants have at their onset high-frequency components.

Abstract: We studied the relationship of reciprocity, gender, and racial composition (Caucasian, African American, cross-race) of adolescent friendship dyads to similarity and proximity in 136 young adolescents. We found that adolescents selected friends who were of the same gender and race and that female dyads were more similar than male dyads on verbal achievement and several personality dimensions. Caucasian dyads were more similar than African American dyads on verbal achievement, mental alertness, and dominance. African American adolescents had more contact with their best friends outside school, whereas Caucasian adolescent friends had more in-school contact. African American students had fewer reciprocal relationships than the Caucasian students. Cross-race friendships were less reciprocal than same-race friendships. Race and gender were important in determining friendship patterns. Similarity and proximity were more important than reciprocity in understanding early adolescent friendships.

Abstract: Summary Effects of show jumping competition on stress levels in horses was examined. Twenty-six homes were sampled in both show and farm environments from three levels of show experience schooling, (least experience, n=11); intermediate, (moderate experience, n=6); open, (most experience, n=9). Blood samples were taken at 6 time points; 3 at the horse show and 3 at the home farm (baseline at rest, pre-schooling and post-performance over a jump course). Stress responses were assessed through comparison of the behavioral response of the horses (determined by a subjective scoring system) to plasma cortisol (F) concentrations. Physical exertion was evaluated by heart rate (HR) and plasma lactate (L) concentrations. Schooling jumpers displayed higher baseline F concentrations than open jumpers (83g±9.2 vs 46.4±10.2 ng/ml, respectively; p<.05); but not when compared to intermediate jumpers (66.2 ± 13.7 ng/ml; p>.05) at the horse show. At the farm, there were no differences in F concentrations between experience levels at a time point (p<.05). Least experienced horses displayed higher F values at rest at the show compared to the home farm. At the show, open jumpers had higher L concentrations post-exercise compared to intermediate horses (40.3±3.4 vs 25.5±4.0 mg/dL, respectively; p<.05); but were not different compared to schooling jumpers (34.8±2.0 mg/dL; p>.05). There were no differences in heart rates or behavior score between experience levels at specific time points at either the show or farm (p>.05). Low positive correlations were found between HR and F (r=.24, p<.05); HR and L (r-.48, p<.05); and HR and behavior (r=.22, p<.05). Results suggest that conditioned jumpers that have previously been exposed to horse show environments do not appear stressed during acute show-jumping competition.

Abstract: Summary Four mares and four geldings of Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred breeding were used in two simultaneous 4x4 Latin square experiments to study the effects of dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB), defined as meq ((Na+K)-C1)/kg dry matter, on urinary pH and mineral excretion in exercised horses. Diets consisted of a pelleted concentrate of corn, soybean meal and cottonseed hulls fed with bermudagrass hay. Treatments with DCAB of +5 (Low, L), +107 (Medium Low, ML), +201 (Medium High, MH) and +327 (High, H), meq ((Na+K)-Cl)/kg dry matter were formed by supplementing diet L with calcium chloride and ammonium chloride, diet ML with calcium chloride and diet H with sodium bicarbonate and potassium citrate (Table 1). Diet MH was not supplemented and served as the control treatment. Horses were conditioned aerobically for 6 weeks using long, slow, distance (LSD) workouts. During the experimental periods, horses were subjected to a combined exercise regimen alternating LSD with an interval-training protocol 6 days/week. There was a significant (P<.01) treatment effect on urine pH; least squares means for L, ML, MH and H were 6.73, 7.17, 7.38, and 7.92. Horses consuming diet L excreted more calcium in the urine (P<.05) than those consuming MH or H. Least squares means for daily urine calcium excretion tended to be linear across treatments and ranged from 19.66 g/day for diet L to 9.12 g/day for diet H. Urinary chloride excretion was higher (P<.05) for L than for MH or H. Horses fed diet H excreted more sodium (P<.05) in urine than horses fed the other diets. Lowering DCAB, increases urinary calcium loss; depending on the level of calcium intake, this could lead to negative calcium balance in exercising horses.