| Records |
| Author |
Miklósi, Á.; Soproni, K. |
| Title |
A comparative analysis of animals' understanding of the human pointing gesture |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2006 |
Publication |
Animal cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Cogn. |
| Volume |
9 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
81-93 |
| Keywords |
*Animal Communication; Animals; *Behavior, Animal; Child; Child, Preschool; Dogs; Fixation, Ocular; *Gestures; Hand; Humans; *Nonverbal Communication; Pinnipedia; Primates; Problem Solving; *Recognition (Psychology); Species Specificity |
| Abstract |
We review studies demonstrating the ability of some animals to understand the human pointing gesture. We present a 3-step analysis of the topic. (1) We compare and evaluate current experimental methods (2) We compare available experimental results on performance of different species and investigate the interaction of species differences and other independent variables (3) We evaluate how our present understanding of pointing comprehension answers questions about function, evolution and mechanisms. Recently, a number of different hypotheses have been put forward to account for the presence of this ability in some species and for the lack of such comprehension in others. In our view, there is no convincing evidence for the assumption that the competitive lifestyles of apes would inhibit the utilization of this human gesture. Similarly, domestication as a special evolutionary factor in the case of some species falls short in explaining high levels of pointing comprehension in some non-domestic species. We also disagree with the simplistic view of describing the phenomenon as a simple form of conditioning. We suggest that a more systematic comparative research is needed to understand the emerging communicative representational abilities in animals that provide the background for comprehending the human pointing gesture. |
| Address |
Department of Ethology, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Pazmany P 1/c, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary. miklosa@ludens.elte.hu |
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English |
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| ISSN |
1435-9448 |
ISBN |
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Expedition  |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:16235075 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
463 |
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| Author |
Fenton, B.; Ratcliffe, J. |
| Title |
Animal behaviour: eavesdropping on bats |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2004 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
| Volume |
429 |
Issue |
6992 |
Pages |
612-613 |
| Keywords |
Acoustics; Animals; Chiroptera/anatomy & histology/classification/genetics/*physiology; Echolocation/*physiology; *Evolution; Phylogeny; Predatory Behavior/physiology; Species Specificity |
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English |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1476-4687 |
ISBN |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:15190335 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
500 |
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| Author |
Hare, B.; Plyusnina, I.; Ignacio, N.; Schepina, O.; Stepika, A.; Wrangham, R.; Trut, L. |
| Title |
Social cognitive evolution in captive foxes is a correlated by-product of experimental domestication |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Current biology : CB |
Abbreviated Journal |
Curr Biol |
| Volume |
15 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
226-230 |
| Keywords |
Animals; *Animals, Domestic; Cognition/*physiology; *Cues; *Evolution; Foxes/*physiology; *Selection (Genetics); Social Behavior; Species Specificity |
| Abstract |
Dogs have an unusual ability for reading human communicative gestures (e.g., pointing) in comparison to either nonhuman primates (including chimpanzees) or wolves . Although this unusual communicative ability seems to have evolved during domestication , it is unclear whether this evolution occurred as a result of direct selection for this ability, as previously hypothesized , or as a correlated by-product of selection against fear and aggression toward humans--as is the case with a number of morphological and physiological changes associated with domestication . We show here that fox kits from an experimental population selectively bred over 45 years to approach humans fearlessly and nonaggressively (i.e., experimentally domesticated) are not only as skillful as dog puppies in using human gestures but are also more skilled than fox kits from a second, control population not bred for tame behavior (critically, neither population of foxes was ever bred or tested for their ability to use human gestures) . These results suggest that sociocognitive evolution has occurred in the experimental foxes, and possibly domestic dogs, as a correlated by-product of selection on systems mediating fear and aggression, and it is likely the observed social cognitive evolution did not require direct selection for improved social cognitive ability. |
| Address |
Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. hare@eva.mpg.de |
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English |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0960-9822 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:15694305 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
594 |
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| Author |
Hare, B.; Brown, M.; Williamson, C.; Tomasello, M. |
| Title |
The domestication of social cognition in dogs |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Science (New York, N.Y.) |
Abbreviated Journal |
Science |
| Volume |
298 |
Issue |
5598 |
Pages |
1634-1636 |
| Keywords |
Animals; *Animals, Domestic; *Behavior, Animal; *Cognition; *Cues; *Dogs; Food; Humans; Memory; Pan troglodytes; *Social Behavior; Species Specificity; Vision; Wolves |
| Abstract |
Dogs are more skillful than great apes at a number of tasks in which they must read human communicative signals indicating the location of hidden food. In this study, we found that wolves who were raised by humans do not show these same skills, whereas domestic dog puppies only a few weeks old, even those that have had little human contact, do show these skills. These findings suggest that during the process of domestication, dogs have been selected for a set of social-cognitive abilities that enable them to communicate with humans in unique ways. |
| Address |
Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. bhare@fas.harvard.edu |
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English |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1095-9203 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:12446914 |
Approved |
no |
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refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
595 |
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| Author |
Keay, J.M.; Singh, J.; Gaunt, M.C.; Kaur, T. |
| Title |
Fecal glucocorticoids and their metabolites as indicators of stress in various mammalian species: a literature review |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2006 |
Publication |
Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine : official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Zoo Wildl Med |
| Volume |
37 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
234-244 |
| Keywords |
Animals; *Animals, Wild/metabolism; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods/veterinary; Circadian Rhythm; Conservation of Natural Resources; *Ecosystem; Feces/*chemistry; Glucocorticoids/*analysis/metabolism; Humans; Seasons; Species Specificity; Specimen Handling/methods/veterinary; Stress, Psychological/*metabolism |
| Abstract |
Conservation medicine is a discipline in which researchers and conservationists study and respond to the dynamic interplay between animals, humans, and the environment. From a wildlife perspective, animal species are encountering stressors from numerous sources. With the rapidly increasing human population, a corresponding increased demand for food, fuel, and shelter; habitat destruction; and increased competition for natural resources, the health and well-being of wild animal populations is increasingly at risk of disease and endangerment. Scientific data are needed to measure the impact that human encroachment is having on wildlife. Nonbiased biometric data provide a means to measure the amount of stress being imposed on animals from humans, the environment, and other animals. The stress response in animals functions via glucocorticoid metabolism and is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Fecal glucocorticoids, in particular, may be an extremely useful biometric test, since sample collection is noninvasive to subjects and, therefore, does not introduce other variables that may alter assay results. For this reason, many researchers and conservationists have begun to use fecal glucocorticoids as a means to measure stress in various animal species. This review article summarizes the literature on many studies in which fecal glucocorticoids and their metabolites have been used to assess stress levels in various mammalian species. Variations between studies are the main focus of this review. Collection methods, storage conditions, shipping procedures, and laboratory techniques utilized by different researchers are discussed. |
| Address |
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, 0442 Duck Pond Drive, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA |
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English |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1042-7260 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:17319120 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
616 |
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| Author |
Seyfarth, R.M.; Cheney, D.L. |
| Title |
Signalers and receivers in animal communication |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2003 |
Publication |
Annual review of psychology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Annu Rev Psychol |
| Volume |
54 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
145-173 |
| Keywords |
Affect; *Animal Communication; Animals; Arousal; Auditory Perception; Motivation; *Social Behavior; Social Environment; Species Specificity; *Vocalization, Animal |
| Abstract |
In animal communication natural selection favors callers who vocalize to affect the behavior of listeners and listeners who acquire information from vocalizations, using this information to represent their environment. The acquisition of information in the wild is similar to the learning that occurs in laboratory conditioning experiments. It also has some parallels with language. The dichotomous view that animal signals must be either referential or emotional is false, because they can easily be both: The mechanisms that cause a signaler to vocalize do not limit a listener's ability to extract information from the call. The inability of most animals to recognize the mental states of others distinguishes animal communication most clearly from human language. Whereas signalers may vocalize to change a listener's behavior, they do not call to inform others. Listeners acquire information from signalers who do not, in the human sense, intend to provide it. |
| Address |
Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. seyfarth@psych.upenn.edu |
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English |
Summary Language |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0066-4308 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:12359915 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
690 |
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| Author |
Horner, V.; Whiten, A. |
| Title |
Causal knowledge and imitation/emulation switching in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and children (Homo sapiens) |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Animal cognition |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Cogn. |
| Volume |
8 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
164-181 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Child Behavior; Child, Preschool; *Concept Formation; Female; Humans; *Imitative Behavior; *Learning; Male; Pan troglodytes; *Problem Solving; Psychomotor Performance; *Social Environment; Species Specificity |
| Abstract |
This study explored whether the tendency of chimpanzees and children to use emulation or imitation to solve a tool-using task was a response to the availability of causal information. Young wild-born chimpanzees from an African sanctuary and 3- to 4-year-old children observed a human demonstrator use a tool to retrieve a reward from a puzzle-box. The demonstration involved both causally relevant and irrelevant actions, and the box was presented in each of two conditions: opaque and clear. In the opaque condition, causal information about the effect of the tool inside the box was not available, and hence it was impossible to differentiate between the relevant and irrelevant parts of the demonstration. However, in the clear condition causal information was available, and subjects could potentially determine which actions were necessary. When chimpanzees were presented with the opaque box, they reproduced both the relevant and irrelevant actions, thus imitating the overall structure of the task. When the box was presented in the clear condition they instead ignored the irrelevant actions in favour of a more efficient, emulative technique. These results suggest that emulation is the favoured strategy of chimpanzees when sufficient causal information is available. However, if such information is not available, chimpanzees are prone to employ a more comprehensive copy of an observed action. In contrast to the chimpanzees, children employed imitation to solve the task in both conditions, at the expense of efficiency. We suggest that the difference in performance of chimpanzees and children may be due to a greater susceptibility of children to cultural conventions, perhaps combined with a differential focus on the results, actions and goals of the demonstrator. |
| Address |
Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9JU, UK. vkh1@st-andrews.ac.uk |
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English |
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Edition |
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1435-9448 |
ISBN |
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| Notes |
PMID:15549502 |
Approved |
no |
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refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
732 |
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| Author |
Horowitz, A.C. |
| Title |
Do humans ape? Or do apes human? Imitation and intention in humans (Homo sapiens) and other animals |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2003 |
Publication |
Journal of comparative psychology |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Comp Psychol |
| Volume |
117 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
325-336 |
| Keywords |
Adolescent; Adult; Animals; *Appetitive Behavior; Attention; Child, Preschool; Concept Formation; Female; Humans; *Imitative Behavior; Male; Motivation; Pan troglodytes/*psychology; *Problem Solving; *Psychomotor Performance; Reaction Time; Species Specificity |
| Abstract |
A. Whiten, D. M. Custance, J.-C. Gomez, P. Teixidor, and K. A. Bard (1996) tested chimpanzees' (Pan troglodytes) and human children's (Homo sapiens) skills at imitation with a 2-action test on an “artificial fruit.” Chimpanzees imitated to a restricted degree; children were more thoroughly imitative. Such results prompted some to assert that the difference in imitation indicates a difference in the subjects' understanding of the intentions of the demonstrator (M. Tomasello, 1996). In this experiment, 37 adult human subjects were tested with the artificial fruit. Far from being perfect imitators, the adults were less imitative than the children. These results cast doubt on the inference from imitative performance to an ability to understand others' intentions. The results also demonstrate how any test of imitation requires a control group and attention to the level of behavioral analysis. |
| Address |
Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA. ahorowitz@crl.ucsd.edu |
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Place of Publication |
Washington, D.C. : 1983 |
Editor |
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English |
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Edition |
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0735-7036 |
ISBN |
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| Notes |
PMID:14498809 |
Approved |
yes |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
736 |
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| Author |
Stoinski, T.S.; Whiten, A. |
| Title |
Social learning by orangutans (Pongo abelii and Pongo pygmaeus) in a simulated food-processing task |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2003 |
Publication |
Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983) |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Comp Psychol |
| Volume |
117 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
272-282 |
| Keywords |
*Animal Communication; Animals; *Feeding Behavior; Female; *Imitative Behavior; Male; Pongo pygmaeus/*psychology; Problem Solving; Psychomotor Performance; Social Environment; Species Specificity; *Transfer (Psychology) |
| Abstract |
Increasing evidence for behavioral differences between populations of primates has created a resurgence of interest in examining mechanisms of information transfer between individuals. The authors examined the social transmission of information in 15 captive orangutans (Pongo abelii and Pongo pygmaeus) using a simulated food-processing task. Experimental subjects were shown 1 of 2 methods for removing a suite of defenses on an “artificial fruit.” Control subjects were given no prior exposure before interacting with the fruit. Observing a model provided a functional advantage in the task, as significantly more experimental than control subjects opened the fruit. Within the experimental groups, the authors found a trend toward differences in the actual behaviors used to remove 1 of the defenses. Results support observations from the wild implying horizontal transfer of information in orangutans and show that a number of social learning processes are likely to be involved in the transfer of knowledge in this species. |
| Address |
Department of Primate Research, Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30315, USA. tstoinski@zooatlanta.org |
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English |
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0735-7036 |
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| Notes |
PMID:14498803 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
737 |
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| Author |
Whiten, A.; Goodall, J.; McGrew, W.C.; Nishida, T.; Reynolds, V.; Sugiyama, Y.; Tutin, C.E.; Wrangham, R.W.; Boesch, C. |
| Title |
Cultures in chimpanzees |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
1999 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
| Volume |
399 |
Issue |
6737 |
Pages |
682-685 |
| Keywords |
Animals; *Behavior, Animal; Cognition; *Culture; Humans; Pan troglodytes/*physiology; Species Specificity |
| Abstract |
As an increasing number of field studies of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) have achieved long-term status across Africa, differences in the behavioural repertoires described have become apparent that suggest there is significant cultural variation. Here we present a systematic synthesis of this information from the seven most long-term studies, which together have accumulated 151 years of chimpanzee observation. This comprehensive analysis reveals patterns of variation that are far more extensive than have previously been documented for any animal species except humans. We find that 39 different behaviour patterns, including tool usage, grooming and courtship behaviours, are customary or habitual in some communities but are absent in others where ecological explanations have been discounted. Among mammalian and avian species, cultural variation has previously been identified only for single behaviour patterns, such as the local dialects of song-birds. The extensive, multiple variations now documented for chimpanzees are thus without parallel. Moreover, the combined repertoire of these behaviour patterns in each chimpanzee community is itself highly distinctive, a phenomenon characteristic of human cultures but previously unrecognised in non-human species. |
| Address |
Scottish Primate Research Group, School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, UK |
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English |
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0028-0836 |
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| Notes |
PMID:10385119 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
742 |
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