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Author |
Hemelrijk, C.K.; Wantia, J. |
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Title |
Individual variation by self-organisation |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2005 |
Publication  |
Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews |
Abbreviated Journal |
Neurosci Biobehav Rev |
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Volume |
29 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
125-136 |
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Keywords |
Aggression; Animals; Behavior, Animal/*physiology; Competitive Behavior/*physiology; Female; Humans; *Individuality; Male; Models, Psychological; Sex Characteristics; *Social Dominance; Time Factors |
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Abstract |
In this paper, we show that differences in dominance and spatial centrality of individuals in a group may arise through self-organisation. Our instrument is a model, called DomWorld, that represents two traits that are often found in animals, namely grouping and competing. In this model individual differences grow under the following conditions: (1) when the intensity of aggression increases and grouping becomes denser, (2) when the degree of sexual dimorphism in fighting power increases. In this case the differences among females compared to males grow too, (3) when, upon encountering another individual, the tendency to attack is 'obligate' and not conditional, namely 'sensitive to risks'. Results resemble phenomena described for societies of primates, mice, birds and pigs. |
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Theoretical Biology, University of Groningen, NN Haren, The Netherlands. hemelrij@ifi.unizh.ch |
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0149-7634 |
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PMID:15652260 |
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refbase @ user @ |
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443 |
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Author |
Milgram, N.W.; Head, E.; Muggenburg, B.; Holowachuk, D.; Murphey, H.; Estrada, J.; Ikeda-Douglas, C.J.; Zicker, S.C.; Cotman, C.W. |
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Title |
Landmark discrimination learning in the dog: effects of age, an antioxidant fortified food, and cognitive strategy |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews |
Abbreviated Journal |
Neurosci Biobehav Rev |
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Volume |
26 |
Issue |
6 |
Pages |
679-695 |
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Keywords |
Age Factors; Aging/*physiology; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Antioxidants/*pharmacology; Blood Chemical Analysis/methods; Cognition/*physiology; *Diet; Discrimination Learning/*drug effects/*physiology; Distance Perception/drug effects/physiology; Dogs/physiology; Female; Male; Psychomotor Performance/physiology; Retention (Psychology)/drug effects/physiology; Spatial Behavior/*drug effects/*physiology; Task Performance and Analysis; Time Factors; Vitamin E/blood |
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The landmark discrimination learning test can be used to assess the ability to utilize allocentric spatial information to locate targets. The present experiments examined the role of various factors on performance of a landmark discrimination learning task in beagle dogs. Experiments 1 and 2 looked at the effects of age and food composition. Experiments 3 and 4 were aimed at characterizing the cognitive strategies used in performance on this task and in long-term retention. Cognitively equivalent groups of old and young dogs were placed into either a test group maintained on food enriched with a broad-spectrum of antioxidants and mitochondrial cofactors, or a control group maintained on a complete and balanced food formulated for adult dogs. Following a wash-in period, the dogs were tested on a series of problems, in which reward was obtained when the animal responded selectively to the object closest to a thin wooden block, which served as a landmark. In Experiment 1, dogs were first trained to respond to a landmark placed directly on top of coaster, landmark 0 (L0). In the next phase of testing, the landmark was moved at successively greater distances (1, 4 or 10 cm) away from the reward object. Learning varied as a function of age group, food group, and task. The young dogs learned all of the tasks more quickly than the old dogs. The aged dogs on the enriched food learned L0 significantly more rapidly than aged dogs on control food. A higher proportion of dogs on the enriched food learned the task, when the distance was increased to 1cm. Experiment 2 showed that accuracy decreased with increased distance between the reward object and landmark, and this effect was greater in old animals. Experiment 3 showed stability of performance, despite using a novel landmark, and new locations, indicating that dogs learned the landmark concept. Experiment 4 found age impaired long-term retention of the landmark task. These results indicate that allocentric spatial learning is impaired in an age-dependent manner in dogs, and that age also affects performance when the distance between the landmark and target is increased. In addition, these results both support a role of oxidative damage in the development of age-associated cognitive dysfunction and indicate that short-term administration of a food enriched with supplemental antioxidants and mitochondrial cofactors can partially reverse the deleterious effects of aging on cognition. |
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Life Science Division, University of Toronto at Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ont., Canada M1C 1A4. milgram@psych.utoronto.ca |
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0149-7634 |
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PMID:12479842 |
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Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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2806 |
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Author |
Blokland, A. |
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Title |
Reaction time responding in rats |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
1998 |
Publication |
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews |
Abbreviated Journal |
Neurosci Biobehav Rev |
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Volume |
22 |
Issue |
6 |
Pages |
847-864 |
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Keywords |
Amphetamine/pharmacology; Animals; Behavior, Animal/drug effects/*physiology; Conditioning, Operant/drug effects/*physiology; Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors/pharmacology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Male; Rats; Rats, Inbred Lew; Reaction Time/drug effects/*physiology |
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The use of reaction time has a great tradition in the field of human information processing research. In animal research the use of reaction time test paradigms is mainly limited to two research fields: the role of the striatum in movement initiation; and aging. It was discussed that reaction time responding can be regarded as “single behavior”, this term was used to indicate that only one behavioral category is measured, allowing a better analysis of brain-behavior relationships. Reaction time studies investigating the role of the striatum in motor functions revealed that the initiation of a behavioral response is dependent on the interaction of different neurotransmitters (viz. dopamine, glutamate, GABA). Studies in which lesions were made in different brain structures suggested that motor initiation is dependent on defined brain structures (e.g. medialldorsal striatum, prefrontal cortex). It was concluded that the use of reaction time measures can indeed be a powerful tool in studying brain-behavior relationships. However, there are some methodological constraints with respect to the assessment of reaction time in rats, as was tried to exemplify by the experiments described in the present paper. On the one hand one should try to control for behavioral characteristics of rats that may affect the validity of the parameter reaction time. On the other hand, the mean value of reaction time should be in the range of what has been reported in man. Although these criteria were not always met in several studies, it was concluded that reaction time can be validly assessed in rats. Finally, it was discussed that the use of reaction time may go beyond studies that investigate the role of the basal ganglia in motor output. Since response latency is a direct measure of information processing this parameter may provide insight into basic elements of cognition. Based on the significance of reaction times in human studies the use of this dependent variable in rats may provide a fruitful approach in studying brain-behavior relationships in cognitive functions. |
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Department of Psychology, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands |
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0149-7634 |
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PMID:9809315 |
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Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
2807 |
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Author |
Bell, R.J.W.; Kingston, J.K.; Mogg, T.D.; Perkins, N.R. |
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Title |
The prevalence of gastric ulceration in racehorses in New Zealand |
Type |
Journal Article |
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Year |
2007 |
Publication |
New Zealand Veterinary Journal |
Abbreviated Journal |
N Z Vet J |
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Volume |
55 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
13-18 |
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Keywords |
Age Factors; *Animal Feed; Animal Husbandry/methods; Animals; Female; Horse Diseases/*epidemiology/pathology/prevention & control; Horses; Male; New Zealand/epidemiology; Physical Conditioning, Animal/*adverse effects/physiology; Poaceae; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Sex Factors; Stomach Ulcer/epidemiology/pathology/prevention & control/*veterinary; Time Factors |
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AIM: To establish the prevalence and factors influencing the prevalence and severity of gastric ulceration in racehorses in New Zealand. METHODS: Horses (n=171) in active training for racing by trainers (n=24) located throughout New Zealand were examined using gastroscopy during 2003 and 2004. Images of the examination were recorded and reviewed, and an ordinal grade based on the severity of gastric ulceration present was assigned, using the grading system proposed by the Equine Gastric Ulcer Council (EGUC). Information about the horses such as age, breed, sex, stabling, time at pasture, pasture quality, and presence of clinical signs consistent with equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) was recorded. RESULTS: Of the 171 horses in the study, 133 (78%) were Thoroughbreds and 38 (22%) were Standardbreds. Evidence of gastric ulceration was present in 151 (88.3%) of these. Prevalence of ulceration was higher at the lesser curvature (LC) and greater curvature (GC) of the stomach than at the saccus caecus (SC; p<0.01), and ulceration was more severe at the LC than at either the GC (p=0.02) or the SC (p<0.001). The prevalence of ulceration did not differ between the two breeds (p=0.51) or between horses of differing ages (p=0.56). Gastric ulceration was evident in 125/141 (89%) horses kept at pasture for at least 4 h/day, in all 13 (100%) horses kept at pasture full time, and in 16/17 (94%) horses stabled full time. Prevalence and severity of ulceration did not differ between horses stabled full time, kept at pasture for part of the day or kept at pasture full time (p=0.33 and 0.13, respectively), and for horses grazed on pasture severity of ulceration did not vary significantly with the quality of the pasture (p=0.12). Neither prevalence (p=0.26) nor severity (p=0.49) of gastric ulceration varied significantly with duration of training. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of gastric ulceration in racehorses in New Zealand is similar to that reported elsewhere for horses in active training for racing. Access to pasture for some or all of the day did not appear to be protective. |
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Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand. robinjw@gmail.com |
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0048-0169 |
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PMID:17339911 |
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no |
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Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4020 |
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Author |
Ogbourne, C.P. |
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Title |
Variations in the fecundity of strongylid worms of the horse |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
1971 |
Publication |
Parasitology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Parasitology |
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Volume |
63 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
289-298 |
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Keywords |
Animals; Animals, Newborn; Ecology; Feces; Female; Horses; Larva/growth & development; Male; Ovum; Parasite Egg Count; Reproduction; Seasons; Strongyle Infections, Equine/*etiology; Strongyloides/*growth & development; Time Factors |
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0031-1820 |
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PMID:5129804 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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2727 |
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Author |
Czerlinski, G.H.; Erickson, J.O.; Theorell, H. |
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Title |
Chemical relaxation studies on the horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase system |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
1979 |
Publication |
Physiological Chemistry and Physics |
Abbreviated Journal |
Physiol Chem Phys |
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11 |
Issue |
6 |
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537-569 |
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Alcohol Oxidoreductases/*metabolism; Animals; Buffers; Electron Transport; Ethanol/metabolism; Horses; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Liver/*enzymology; Mathematics; NAD/metabolism; Oscillometry; Osmolar Concentration; Temperature; Time Factors |
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Abstract |
Chemical relaxation studies on the system horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and ethanol were conducted observing fluorescence changes between 400 and 500 nm. Temperature-jump experiments were performed at pH 6.5, 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0; concentration-jump experiments at pH 9.0. The reciprocal of the slowest relaxation time was found to be linearly dependent upon the enzyme concentration for relatively low enzyme concentrations, as predicted earlier. Use of the wide pH-range necessitated expression of the four apparent dissociation constants of the catalytic reaction cycle in terms of pH-independent constants. The system was described in terms of only one (or two) catalysis-linked protons not associated with the electron transfer. Protonic steps in a buffered system are in rapid equilibrium, too fast to be measured with the equipment available. Assuming only two of the four bimolecular reaction steps in the four-step cycle are fast compared to the remaining two, six cases may be considered with six expressions for the reciprocal of the slowest relaxation time. Comparison with the experimental data revealed that the bimolecular reaction steps governing the slowest relaxation time change with pH. Above the effective time resolution of the temperature-lump instrument with fluorescence detection (0.1 msec) only one other relaxation time was detectable and only at pH 9. This relaxation time, found to be independent of the concentration of all reactants within experimental error (r = 10 +/- 5 msec), is most likely due to an interconversion among ternary complexes. |
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0031-9325 |
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PMID:44918 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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3813 |
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Houpt, K.A.; Thornton, S.N.; Allen, W.R. |
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Title |
Vasopressin in dehydrated and rehydrated ponies |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
1989 |
Publication |
Physiology & behavior |
Abbreviated Journal |
Physiol. Behav. |
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Volume |
45 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
659-661 |
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Animals; Behavior, Animal/*physiology; Dehydration/*blood; Drinking Behavior/*physiology; Female; Horses/*blood; Osmolar Concentration; Reaction Time; Time Factors; Vasopressins/*blood |
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Abstract |
Six pony mares deprived of water for 24 hours showed significant increases in plasma vasopressin (2.8 pg/ml) and osmolality (9 mosmol/kg). When water was made available the ponies drank rapidly (5 of 6 drank to satiety within 90 seconds) and corrected their fluid deficits precisely. Vasopressin did not return to predehydration levels until osmolality did after 15 minutes of access to water. The horse differs from rodents and humans, but is similar to pigs in that vasopressin levels do not fall before osmolality returns to normal. Oropharyngeal factors, therefore, may not be as important in vasopressin release in horses as in other species. |
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New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca 14853-6401 |
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0031-9384 |
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PMID:2756059 |
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no |
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Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
45 |
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Author |
Kutsukake, N.; Castles, D.L. |
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Reconciliation and post-conflict third-party affiliation among wild chimpanzees in the Mahale Mountains, Tanzania |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2004 |
Publication |
Primates |
Abbreviated Journal |
Primates |
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Volume |
45 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
157-165 |
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Keywords |
*Agonistic Behavior; Animals; *Conflict (Psychology); Female; Male; Observation; Pan troglodytes/*psychology; Sex Factors; *Social Behavior; Tanzania; Time Factors |
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Abstract |
This study investigated post-conflict (PC) behavior among wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) of the M-group in the Mahale Mountains, Tanzania, and examined what types of behavior characterize the PC situation in this group, and the factors that influence the occurrence of PC affiliation between opponents soon after the end of an aggressive conflict (i.e., reconciliation). We found that the opponents affiliated selectively soon after the end of aggression, suggesting that reconciliation occurred in this group. The mean individual corrected conciliatory tendency (CCT) (Veenema et al. 1994 in Behav Proc 31:29-38) was 14.4%, which is similar to or lower than frequencies observed in studies of captive and wild chimpanzees. The valuable relationship hypothesis predicts that the CCT is higher among individuals who share valuable relationships (e.g., males or affiliative dyads) than among individuals who do not (e.g., females or less-associative dyads). However, the analysis based on data for aggression between unrelated individuals (including one incident between an adult and non-adult) and aggression between unrelated adults, did not uncover this difference. Affiliation by a previously uninvolved individual with the victim (“consolation”) and with the aggressor (“appeasement”) occurred more frequently following aggression than in the control condition. The results are compared with previous studies of captive and wild chimpanzees. |
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Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan. kutsu@darwin.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
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0032-8332 |
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PMID:15114477 |
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Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
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2883 |
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Author |
Gruter, C.C. |
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Title |
Conflict and postconflict behaviour in captive black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2004 |
Publication |
Primates |
Abbreviated Journal |
Primates |
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Volume |
45 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
197-200 |
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Aggression/psychology; Animals; Animals, Zoo/*psychology; Colobinae/*psychology; *Conflict (Psychology); Female; Male; Observation; Sex Factors; *Social Behavior; Time Factors |
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Black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) have almost never been the subject of any behavioural observations in captivity. This study was aimed at providing preliminary information about agonistic and reconciliation behaviour in a group kept at the Kunming Institute of Zoology in China. Established procedures were used for this investigation (i.e., the postconflict/matched-control method and the time-rule method). Intra-group aggression rates were quite low. Postconflict affiliation as well as selective attraction of former opponents to each other following conflicts was demonstrated. Former opponents contacted each other earlier in postconflict periods than in matched-control periods. The average conciliatory tendency of all focal individuals combined was 54.5%. After an agonistic interaction, the first affiliative contact between former aggressors usually took place within the first minute. The behaviours most often shown as first affiliations after a conflict were body contact, mount, touch, and “hold-lumbar”, of which the latter is an explicit reconciliatory gesture. Furthermore, the adult male intervened non-aggressively in 84% of all conflicts (n=25) among the adult females. Overall, the patterns of aggression and reconciliation observed in R. bieti bear many of the traits that characterise tolerant primate species. |
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Anthropologisches Institut und Museum, Universitat Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland. ccgrueter@bluewin.ch |
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0032-8332 |
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PMID:15042414 |
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refbase @ user @ |
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2884 |
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Author |
Cameron, E.Z. |
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Title |
Facultative adjustment of mammalian sex ratios in support of the Trivers-Willard hypothesis: evidence for a mechanism |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2004 |
Publication |
Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc Biol Sci |
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Volume |
271 |
Issue |
1549 |
Pages |
1723-1728 |
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Age Factors; Animals; Body Constitution; *Evolution; Female; Glucose/metabolism/physiology; Litter Size; Male; Mammals/*physiology; *Models, Biological; Reproduction/physiology; Seasons; Sex Factors; *Sex Ratio; Time Factors |
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Evolutionary theory predicts that mothers of different condition should adjust the birth sex ratio of their offspring in relation to future reproductive benefits. Published studies addressing variation in mammalian sex ratios have produced surprisingly contradictory results. Explaining the source of such variation has been a challenge for sex-ratio theory, not least because no mechanism for sex-ratio adjustment is known. I conducted a meta-analysis of previous mammalian sex-ratio studies to determine if there are any overall patterns in sex-ratio variation. The contradictory nature of previous results was confirmed. However, studies that investigated indices of condition around conception show almost unanimous support for the prediction that mothers in good condition bias their litters towards sons. Recent research on the role of glucose in reproductive functioning have shown that excess glucose favours the development of male blastocysts, providing a potential mechanism for sex-ratio variation in relation to maternal condition around conception. Furthermore, many of the conflicting results from studies on sex-ratio adjustment would be explained if glucose levels in utero during early cell division contributed to the determination of offspring sex ratios. |
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Address |
Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa. ezcameron@zoology.up.ac.za |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0962-8452 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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Notes |
PMID:15306293 |
Approved |
no |
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Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
413 |
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