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Author Mulcahy, N.J.; Call, J. doi  openurl
  Title Apes save tools for future use Type Journal Article
  Year 2006 Publication Science (New York, N.Y.) Abbreviated Journal Science  
  Volume 312 Issue 5776 Pages 1038-1040  
  Keywords Animals; Association Learning; *Cognition; *Evolution; *Mental Processes; *Pan paniscus; Pan troglodytes; *Pongo pygmaeus  
  Abstract Planning for future needs, not just current ones, is one of the most formidable human cognitive achievements. Whether this skill is a uniquely human adaptation is a controversial issue. In a study we conducted, bonobos and orangutans selected, transported, and saved appropriate tools above baseline levels to use them 1 hour later (experiment 1). Experiment 2 extended these results to a 14-hour delay between collecting and using the tools. Experiment 3 showed that seeing the apparatus during tool selection was not necessary to succeed. These findings suggest that the precursor skills for planning for the future evolved in great apes before 14 million years ago, when all extant great ape species shared a common ancestor.  
  Address Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1095-9203 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:16709782 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 466  
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Author Johnstone, R.A. doi  openurl
  Title Eavesdropping and animal conflict Type Journal Article
  Year 2001 Publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Abbreviated Journal Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.  
  Volume 98 Issue 16 Pages 9177-9180  
  Keywords *Aggression; Animals; *Behavior, Animal; *Conflict (Psychology); Models, Theoretical  
  Abstract Fights between pairs of animals frequently take place within a wider social context. The displays exchanged during conflict, and the outcome of an encounter, are often detectable by individuals who are not immediately involved. In at least some species, such bystanders are known to eavesdrop on contests between others, and to modify their behavior toward the contestants in response to the observed interaction. Here, I extend Maynard Smith's well known model of animal aggression, the Hawk-Dove game, to incorporate the possibility of eavesdroppers. I show that some eavesdropping is favored whenever the cost of losing an escalated fight exceeds the value of the contested resource, and that its equilibrium frequency is greatest when costs are relatively high. Eavesdropping reduces the risk of escalated conflict relative to that expected by chance, given the level of aggression in the population. However, it also promotes increased aggression, because it enhances the value of victory. The net result is that escalated conflicts are predicted to occur more frequently when eavesdropping is possible.  
  Address Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom. raj1003@hermes.cam.ac.uk  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0027-8424 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:11459936 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 497  
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Author Earley, R.L.; Dugatkin, L.A. doi  openurl
  Title Eavesdropping on visual cues in green swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) fights: a case for networking Type Journal Article
  Year 2002 Publication Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society Abbreviated Journal Proc Biol Sci  
  Volume 269 Issue 1494 Pages 943-952  
  Keywords *Aggression; Animals; *Behavior, Animal; *Cyprinodontiformes; Female; Male  
  Abstract Aggressive contests probably occur in networking environments where information about fighting ability is conveyed both to an opponent and to individuals peripheral to the fight itself, the bystanders. Our primary aim was to investigate the relative influences of eavesdropping and prior social experience on the dynamics of aggressive contests in Xiphophorus helleri. A bystander's ability to witness an encounter was manipulated using clear, one-way mirror, and opaque partitions. After watching (or not watching) the initial contest, the bystander encountered either the winner or loser of the bout. Treatment comparisons of bystander-winner or bystander-loser contest dynamics indicated the presence or absence of winner, loser, or eavesdropping effects. Winner and loser effects had negligible influences on bystander contest dynamics. Eavesdropping significantly reduced the bystander's propensity to initiate aggression, escalate, and win against seen winners regardless of whether the watched bout had escalated or not. Though eavesdropping had relatively little effect on bystander-loser contest dynamics, bystanders were less prone to initiate aggression and win against losers that had escalated in the witnessed bout. Thus, bystanders appear to preferentially retain and utilize information gained about potentially dangerous opponents (winners or persistent losers). Our data lend clear support for the importance of eavesdropping in visually based aggressive signalling systems.  
  Address Department of Biology, Life Science, Room 139, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA. rlearl01@athena.louisville.edu  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0962-8452 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:12028778 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 498  
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Author Peake, T.M.; Terry, A.M.R.; McGregor, P.K.; Dabelsteen, T. doi  openurl
  Title Do great tits assess rivals by combining direct experience with information gathered by eavesdropping? Type Journal Article
  Year 2002 Publication Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society Abbreviated Journal Proc Biol Sci  
  Volume 269 Issue 1503 Pages 1925-1929  
  Keywords Aggression; *Animal Communication; Animals; Male; Songbirds/*physiology; Territoriality; *Vocalization, Animal  
  Abstract Animals frequently use signals that travel further than the spacing between individuals. For every intended recipient of a given signal there are likely to be many other individuals that receive information. Eavesdropping on signalling interactions between other individuals provides a relatively cost-free method of assessing future opponents or mates. Male great tits (Parus major) extract relative information from such interactions between individuals unknown to them. Here, we show that male great tits can take information gathering a stage further and obtain more information about a previously unencountered intruder, by the hitherto unknown capability of combining information gathered by eavesdropping with that derived from their own direct interaction with an individual. Prior experience with an intruder (A) was achieved by subjecting a focal male to different levels of intrusion simulated using interactive playback. This intruder (A) then took part in a simulated interaction with an unknown male (B) outside the territorial boundary of the focal males. In response to subsequent intrusion by the second male (B), focal males showed low song output in response to males that had lost to a male that the subject was able to beat. Males of known high quality, or those about which information was ambiguous, elicited a high level of song output by focal males. We discuss the implications of this finding for the evolution of communication and social behaviour.  
  Address Department of Animal Behaviour, Zoological Institute, Copenhagen University, Tagensvej 16, DK 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. tmpeake@zi.ku.uk  
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  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
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  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0962-8452 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:12350255 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 501  
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Author Marinier, S.L.; Alexander, A.J.; Waring, G.H. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Flehmen behaviour in the domestic horse: Discrimination of conspecific odours Type Journal Article
  Year 1988 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 19 Issue 3-4 Pages 227-237  
  Keywords  
  Abstract American Saddlebred horses were used to test the responses of domestic horses to the odours of conspecifics. In all cases the odours were tested in the absence of the donor animal. Thus the test animal's behavioural responses were concentrated on the olfactory stimuli, and possible interference from donor behaviour was eliminated. Stallions were significantly more responsive than mares and geldings. This was shown in both flehmen and sniffing behaviour to urine/vaginal secretions and in sniffing behaviour to faecal samples. Only stallions were used for subsequent tests. Stallions showed no significant differences in response to the odour of urine/vaginal secretions of an oestrus mare from that when she was not in season. Parameters used for analysis of data were frequency, latency and duration of flehmen as well as duration of responsiveness to samples. In testing for differences in odours between individual mares, two methods were used. The stallions differentiated between samples from individual mares. In some cases this differentiation was exhibited when the stallions were merely presented with the two samples in sequence. In other cases statistically significant differences in response to the odours were shown only by simultaneous presentation of the two samples to the test stallion. Parameters used for data analysis were frequency and duration of flehmen and duration of responsiveness.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 507  
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Author Scheffer, M.; van Nes, E.H. doi  openurl
  Title Self-organized similarity, the evolutionary emergence of groups of similar species Type Journal Article
  Year 2006 Publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Abbreviated Journal Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.  
  Volume 103 Issue 16 Pages 6230-6235  
  Keywords Animals; *Competitive Behavior; *Ecosystem; *Evolution; *Models, Biological  
  Abstract Ecologists have long been puzzled by the fact that there are so many similar species in nature. Here we show that self-organized clusters of look-a-likes may emerge spontaneously from coevolution of competitors. The explanation is that there are two alternative ways to survive together: being sufficiently different or being sufficiently similar. Using a model based on classical competition theory, we demonstrate a tendency for evolutionary emergence of regularly spaced lumps of similar species along a niche axis. Indeed, such lumpy patterns are commonly observed in size distributions of organisms ranging from algae, zooplankton, and beetles to birds and mammals, and could not be well explained by earlier theory. Our results suggest that these patterns may represent self-constructed niches emerging from competitive interactions. A corollary of our findings is that, whereas in species-poor communities sympatric speciation and invasion of open niches is possible, species-saturated communities may be characterized by convergent evolution and invasion by look-a-likes.  
  Address Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8080, 6700 DD, Wageningen, The Netherlands. marten.scheffer@wur.nl  
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  ISSN 0027-8424 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:16585519 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 510  
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Author Mettke-Hofmann, C.; Gwinner, E. doi  openurl
  Title Long-term memory for a life on the move Type Journal Article
  Year 2003 Publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Abbreviated Journal Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.  
  Volume 100 Issue 10 Pages 5863-5866  
  Keywords Animals; Germany; Israel; Memory/*physiology; Models, Biological; Periodicity; Songbirds/*physiology  
  Abstract Evidence is accumulating that cognitive abilities are shaped by the specific ecological conditions to which animals are exposed. Long-distance migratory birds may provide a striking example of this. Field observations have shown that, at least in some species, a substantial proportion of individuals return to the same breeding, wintering, and stopover sites in successive years. This observation suggests that migrants have evolved special cognitive abilities that enable them to accomplish these feats. Here we show that memory of a particular feeding site persisted for at least 12 months in a long-distance migrant, whereas a closely related nonmigrant could remember such a site for only 2 weeks. Thus, it seems that the migratory lifestyle has influenced the learning and memorizing capacities of migratory birds. These results build a bridge between field observations suggesting special memorization feats of migratory birds and previous neuroanatomical results from the same two species indicating an increase in relative hippocampal size from the first to the second year of life in the migrant but not in the nonmigrant.  
  Address Max Planck Research Centre for Ornithology, Department of Biological Rhythms and Behaviour, Von-der-Tann-Strasse 7, 82346 Andechs, Germany. mettke-hofmann@erl.ornithol.mpg.de  
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  ISSN 0027-8424 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:12719527 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 511  
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Author Linklater, W. L.; Cameron, E. Z.; Stafford, K. J.; Minot, E. O. url  openurl
  Title Estimating Kaimanawa feral horse population size and growth Type Conference Article
  Year Publication SCIENCE & RESEARCH INTERNAL REPORT 185 Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords  
  Abstract Animal flight behaviour in response to aircraft could have a profound influence

on the accuracy and precision of aerial estimates of population size but is rarely

investigated. Using independent observers on the ground and in the air we

recorded the presence and behaviour of 17 groups, including 136 individually

marked horses, during a helicopter count in New Zealand’s Kaimanawa

Mountains. We also compared the helicopter count with ground-based

estimates using mark-resight and line-transect methods in areas ranging from

20.5 to 176 km2. Helicopter counts were from 16% smaller to 54% larger than

ground-based estimates. The helicopter induced a flight response in all horse

groups monitored. During flight, horse groups traveled from 0.1 up to 2.75 km

before leaving the ground observer’s view and temporarily changed in size and

composition. A tenth of the horses were not counted and a quarter counted

twice. A further 23 (17%) may have been counted twice but only two of the

three observers’ records concurred. Thus, the helicopter count over-estimated

the marked sub-population by at least 15% and possibly by up to 32%. The net

over-estimate of the marked sub-population corresponded to the 17% and 13%

difference between helicopter counts and ground-based estimates in the central

study area and for the largest area sampled, respectively. Feral horse flight

behaviour should be considered when designing methods for population

monitoring using aircraft. We identify the characteristics of the helicopter

count that motivated horse flight behaviour. We compared our own recent

estimate of population growth from measures of fecundity and mortality (λ =

1.096 with an earlier-published one (λ = 1.182, where r = 0.167) that had been

derived by interpolating between the available history of single counts. Our

model of population growth, standardised aerial counts, and historical estimates

of annual reproduction suggest that the historical sequence of counts since

1979 probably over-estimated growth because count techniques improved and

greater effort was expended in successive counts. We used line-transect, markresight

and dung density sampling methods for population monitoring and

discuss their advantages and limitations over helicopter counts.
 
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 515  
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Author Seaman, S.C.; Davidson, H.P.B.; Waran, N.K. url  doi
openurl 
  Title How reliable is temperament assessment in the domestic horse (Equus caballus)? Type Journal Article
  Year 2002 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 78 Issue 2-4 Pages 175-191  
  Keywords Temperament assessment; Behavioural tests; Horses; Active and passive copers; Factor analysis  
  Abstract Differences in behavioural characteristics between individuals of the same species are often described as being due to the temperament of the individuals. These differences can have enormous implications for welfare with some individuals apparently being able to adapt to environmental challenge more easily than others. Such differences have resulted in animals often being described as either `active' copers, which try to escape from or remove an aversive stimulus, or `passive' copers, which show no outward signs of a situation being aversive, thus, appearing to be unaffected. Tests previously developed to assess the temperament of animals have been criticised for several reasons. Behaviour is often recorded and categorised using methods that are not objective and tests are generally carried out once with no consideration of whether or not behavioural responses are consistent over time. This study takes these factors into account. The behaviour of 33 horses was recorded in three types of test--an arena test, response to a person and response to an object. In order to test whether or not responses were consistent over time, the tests were repeated three times with an average of 9 days between trials. Test results were validated using responses from questionnaires completed by the farm team leader. The data were analysed using an initial principal component analysis (PCA) and factor analysis. The horses were found to behave consistently over the three trials in their responses in the arena test. The responses to the person test and the object test were similar to each other; however, these responses were not consistent over trials. The behaviour in the arena test was unable to be used to make a prediction of behaviour in the person and object tests and vice versa. The responses shown by the horses did not enable them to be categorised as either active or passive copers. Behavioural responses in the tests were not predictive of the response to a startle test (water spray), nor could they be used to predict status or response to being reintroduced to the group after testing. There was no relationship between the responses in the tests and the ratings given by the farm team leader. It was concluded that horses vary widely in their responses to artificial behavioural tests, with only the responses to an open-field arena test being consistent over time, and therefore, the only type of test which can indicate some core factor of temperament.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 520  
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Author Murphy, J.; Sutherland, A.; Arkins, S. doi  openurl
  Title Idiosyncratic motor laterality in the horse Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 91 Issue 3-4 Pages 297-310  
  Keywords Horse; Idiosyncratic motor behaviour; Laterality; Sidedness  
  Abstract Idiosyncratic motor behaviour was investigated during four experimental procedures in 40 horses (males = 20, females = 20) to establish if horses revealed evidence of significant right or left laterality. The experimental procedures included (1) detection of the preferred foreleg to initiate movement (walk or trot), (2) obstacle avoidance within a passageway (right or left), (3) obstacle avoidance when ridden and (4) idiosyncratic motor bias when rolling. The influence of the horses' sex on both the direction and the degree of the laterality was explored within and between experimental procedures. The findings showed that the direction, but not the degree of idiosyncratic motor preference in the horses was strongly sex-related. Male horses exhibited significantly more (t = 3.74, d.f. = 79, P < 0.001) left lateralised responses and female horses exhibited significantly more (t = -6.35, d.f. = 79, P < 0.01) right lateralised responses. There was also significant positive correlation (P < 0.05) between four of six possible inter-experimental relationships. The results suggest two discrete trends of laterality associated with the sex of the horse. The primary cause of idiosyncratic motor laterality may be genetically predetermined, influenced by environmental factors or a combination of these two and the current findings may support the development of sex-specific training schedules for the horse. Further, work in this area might assist in defining the mechanisms of brain hemisphere lateralisation and allocation of cognitive function in the horse.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 527  
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