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Author Pompilio, L.; Kacelnik, A. doi  openurl
  Title State-dependent learning and suboptimal choice: when starlings prefer long over short delays to food Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 70 Issue 3 Pages 571-578  
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  Abstract Recent studies have used labels such as `work ethics', `sunk costs' and `state-dependent preferences' for apparent anomalies in animals' choices. They suggest that preference between options relates to the options' history, rather than depending exclusively on the expected payoffs. For instance, European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, trained to obtain identical food rewards from two sources while in two levels of hunger preferred the food source previously associated with higher hunger, regardless of the birds' state at the time of testing. We extended this experimentally and theoretically by studying starlings choosing between sources that differed not only in history but also in the objective properties (delay until reward) of the payoffs they delivered. Two options (PF and H) were initially presented in single-option sessions when subjects were, respectively, prefed or hungry. While option PF offered a delay until reward of 10 s in all treatments, option H delivered delays of 10, 12.5, 15 and 17.5 s in four treatments. When training was completed, we tested preference between the options. When delays in both options were equal (10 s), the birds strongly preferred H. When delay in H was 17.5 s, the birds were indifferent, with intermediate results for intermediate treatments. Preference was not mediated by disrupted knowledge of the delays. Thus, preferences were driven by past state-dependent gains, rather than by the joint effect of the birds' state at the time of choice and knowledge of the absolute properties of each alternative, as assumed in state-dependent, path-independent models of optimal choice.  
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  Call Number Serial 2104  
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Author Nicol, C.J.; Badnell-Waters, A.J. doi  openurl
  Title Suckling behaviour in domestic foals and the development of abnormal oral behaviour Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 70 Issue 1 Pages 21-29  
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  Abstract We investigated how the behaviour of domestic foals, Equus caballus, living at pasture with their dams was associated with foal gender, mare rank and the development of abnormal oral behaviour, both during the preweaning period, and over a period of up to 4 years postweaning. A population of 186 foals belonging to private owners and commercial studs was studied. The behaviour of male and female foals hardly differed, but mare rank affected patterns of foal social interaction and suckling behaviour, with foals of subordinate mares involved in more affiliative interactions. These foals also spent more time in perisuckling activities such as teat nuzzling than foals of other mares. During the study, 18 foals developed abnormal oral behaviour before weaning and 42 foals developed abnormal oral behaviour after weaning. The development of abnormal oral behaviour was associated with suckling behaviour in a variety of ways. Foals that had already developed abnormal oral behaviour at the time of the preweaning observations were involved in more suckling terminations within bouts than normal foals or foals that developed future abnormal behaviour, and pushing the udder with the muzzle was most frequent in these foals. Foals that had no current abnormal oral behaviour, but that would develop this in the future, spent more time suckling and twice as much time teat nuzzling as other foals. The results add to the growing evidence of associations between digestive function and abnormal oral behaviour in horses.  
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  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 3631  
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Author Hare, J.F. doi  openurl
  Title Lee Alan Dugatkin, Principles of Animal Behavior, Norton, New York (2004) Pp. xx+596. Price $80.00 Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 69 Issue 1 Pages 247-248  
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 489  
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Author Judge, P.G.; Mullen, S.H. doi  openurl
  Title Quadratic postconflict affiliation among bystanders in a hamadryas baboon group Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 69 Issue 6 Pages 1345-1355  
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  Abstract The tendency in primate groups for two opponents to affiliate shortly after a fight has been described as dyadic reconciliation. The response has been shown to restore disrupted relationships and curtail ongoing aggression. Rates of self-directed behaviour (e.g. scratching) are positively correlated with anxiety in primates and the rates decline after reconciliation, indicating that the response also functions to reduce postconflict tension. Third parties not involved in an aggressive interaction are also likely to affiliate with one of the combatants subsequent to a fight. Such `triadic' interactions may also promote conflict resolution when, for instance, the relatives of a victim affiliate with their relative's aggressor. Because aggression in a group influences a bystander's behaviour with combatants, we hypothesized that aggression between two animals would also influence a bystander's behaviour with other bystanders. Such `quadratic' postconflict interactions might also function to reduce postconflict tension or occur in patterns among kin subgroups to resolve conflict. We tested for quadratic interactions in an 18-member group of captive hamadryas baboons, Papio hamadryas hamadryas. Immediately following a fight, an uninvolved bystander was randomly selected for observation and its affiliative interactions with other bystanders and its displacement activities were recorded for 3 min. Rates of behaviour during these postconflict periods were compared to rates during 3-min baseline periods not preceded by aggression. Bystanders engaged in quadratic interactions by increasing affiliation with other bystanders following aggression. Bystanders directed affiliation to nonkin bystanders that were their preferred social partners. Displacement activities of bystanders were significantly higher during postconflict intervals compared to baseline intervals, and bystander displacement activity levels before affiliative contact with other bystanders were significantly higher than after contact. Apparently, bystanders become tense or anxious after witnessing aggression and affiliate with preferred partners to reduce the arousal.  
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 402  
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Author Earley, R.L.; Druen, M.; Alan Dugatkin, L. doi  openurl
  Title Watching fights does not alter a bystander's response towards naive conspecifics in male green swordtail fish, Xiphophorus helleri Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 69 Issue 5 Pages 1139-1145  
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  Abstract Bystanders are capable of extracting cues from signalling interactions between others and appear to use information gained via eavesdropping when confronted with the watched individuals. A question that has gained little attention is whether observing fights affects bystander behaviour outside the context of interacting with the watched individuals. Our aim was to determine whether watching fights elicits general changes in bystander aggression levels in Xiphophorus helleri. We manipulated the bystanders' ability to witness encounters using clear, one-way-mirror and opaque partitions. After watching (or not watching) an initial contest, the bystanders were pitted against naive conspecifics instead of the animals they had seen fight. Observing fights did not alter the bystanders' propensity to initiate aggression, escalate, or win against naive individuals, indicating that bystanders do not experience general changes in aggressive behaviour after watching a fight. Earlier work in this species, however, has shown that bystanders respond in predictable ways to individuals they have witnessed winning or losing a fight. Taken together, these data support the notion that bystanders consistently modify their behaviour towards previously watched winners or losers in response to information gained via eavesdropping. We discuss our results in light of some recent work on the behavioural and endocrinological responses triggered by watching fights and suggest that comparative approaches to understanding networking phenomena may be productive.  
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 394  
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Author Griffin, A.S.; Galef, J., Bennett G. doi  openurl
  Title Social learning about predators: does timing matter? Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 69 Issue 3 Pages 669-678  
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  Abstract In Pavlovian conditioning, animals acquire a response to a previously neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus, CS), such as a light, if that stimulus predicts a biologically important event (unconditioned stimulus, US), such as delivery of food. Learning typically occurs when the CS precedes the US (forward conditioning), and not when the CS follows the US (backward conditioning). In social learning about predators, the predator stimulus is considered to be the CS to which observers acquire avoidance responses after the stimulus has been presented in contiguity with an alarmed demonstrator, the US. We tested the prediction that social learning of response to a predator would occur even if the social alarm cues (the US) appeared before the predatory stimulus (the CS). Carib grackles, Quiscalus lugubris, responded to a familiar predator presented at close range by suppressing alarm calls. Presentation of an unfamiliar avian model (black-and-yellow pigeon) also decreased calling, and this inhibition of calling was enhanced following a training session in which the model stimulus was presented in association with grackle alarm calls. Acquired inhibition of calling was independent of the order of presentation of the model and an alarm chorus. These are the first results to indicate that social acquisition of predator avoidance is not dependent upon a particular temporal relationship between predators and social alarm cues. Evolution may have modified some properties of Pavlovian conditioning to accommodate social learning about potentially dangerous stimuli.  
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 572  
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Author Kaminski, J.; Riedel, J.; Call, J.; Tomasello, M. doi  openurl
  Title Domestic goats, Capra hircus, follow gaze direction and use social cues in an object choice task Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 69 Issue 1 Pages 11-18  
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  Abstract Gaze following is a basic social cognitive skill with many potential benefits for animals that live in social groups. At least five primate species are known to follow the gaze of conspecifics, but there have been no studies on gaze following in other mammals. We investigated whether domestic goats can use the gaze direction of a conspecific as a cue to find food. They were able to do this, at a level comparable to that of primates. In a second experiment, we tested goats' ability to use gaze and other communicative cues given by a human in a so-called object choice situation. An experimenter hid food out of sight of the subject under one of two cups. After baiting the cup the experimenter indicated the location of the food to the subject by using different cues. The goats used communicative cues (touching and pointing) but not gaze by itself. Since domestic dogs are very skilled in this task, whereas wolves are not, one hypothesis is that the use of communicative cues in the object choice task is a side-effect of domestication.  
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 542  
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Author Fernández-Juricic,E.; Smith, R.; Kacelnik,A. doi  openurl
  Title Increasing the costs of conspecific scanning in socially foraging starlings affects vigilance and foraging behaviour Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 69 Issue 1 Pages 73-81  
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  Abstract Social foragers receive and use information both about companions (social information) and about events external to the group, such as presence of potential predators. Scanning behaviour is often incorporated in theoretical models using simplifying assumptions in relation to the trade-off in information gathering between body postures (head-up versus head-down); however, some avian visual systems may allow individuals to scan in both body postures. We studied these issues experimentally, using starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, foraging in enclosures on natural fields. We varied the availability of information from conspecifics by placing visual barriers that blocked the view when the subjects were in head-down position and by manipulating the distance between group members. We found that as social information was reduced, starlings spent more time scanning (on and off the ground) and head-up scanning was mainly oriented towards conspecifics. The visual-obstruction effects imply that some information about conspecifics is normally gathered while starlings are foraging head-down. Neighbour distance and visual obstruction negatively affected food-searching rates and intake rates in two ways: (1) the effect of obstruction was mediated mostly through time competition between foraging and scanning on the ground, and (2) the effect of distance was due to a reduction in the rate of prey returns per searching effort while the birds were head-down. We conclude that the head-up posture is only one component of scanning, that the effects of head-down scanning should also be considered in species with ample visual fields, and that scanning in starlings is strongly connected to monitoring other flock members.  
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  Call Number Serial 2105  
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Author Dunbar, R.I.; Dunbar, E.P. doi  openurl
  Title Contrasts in social structure among black-and-white colobus monkey groups Type Journal Article
  Year 1976 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 24 Issue 1 Pages 84-92  
  Keywords Agonistic Behavior; Animals; *Colobus; Copulation; Female; *Haplorhini; *Hierarchy, Social; Male; *Social Dominance  
  Abstract Three types of Colobus guereza groups may be distinguished on the bases of size and composition, namely small one-male groups, large, one-male groups and multi-male groups. The social structure of each type of group is described in terms of the distribution of non-agonistic interactions, the frequency and distribution of agonistic behaviour and the organization of the roles of vigilance, territorial defence and leadership. A number of differences are found between the group types which appear to be related to the differences in group size and composition. It is suggested that these group types represent stages in the life-cycle of colobus groups, and that such an interpretation may help to resolve some of the conflicting reports in the literature.  
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  ISSN 0003-3472 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:817624 Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 2049  
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Author Galef BG, J.; Giraldeau, L.A. doi  openurl
  Title Social influences on foraging in vertebrates: causal mechanisms and adaptive functions Type Journal Article
  Year 2001 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 61 Issue 1 Pages 3-15  
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  Abstract We summarize 20 years of empirical and theoretical research on causes and functions of social influences on foraging by animals. We consider separately studies of social influence on when, where, what and how to eat. Implicit in discussion of the majority of studies is our assumption that social influences on foraging reflect a biasing of individual learning processes by social stimuli rather than action of independent social-learning mechanisms. Our review of theoretical approaches suggests that the majority of formally derived hypotheses concerning functions of social influence on foraging have not yet been tested adequately and many models are in need of further refinement. We also consider the importance to the future of the field of integrating 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' approaches to the study of social learning. Copyright 2001 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.  
  Address Department of Psychology, McMaster University  
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  ISSN 0003-3472 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:11170692 Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 2135  
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