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Author Nicol, C. J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Equine learning: progress and suggestions for future research Type Journal Article
  Year 2002 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.  
  Volume 78 Issue 2-4 Pages 193-208  
  Keywords Learning; Horse; Equine; Discrimination; Training  
  Abstract Horses are well able to form classical and instrumental associations and so the focus of much recent research has been on the stimulus control of instrumental learning. Horses appear to discriminate using spatial cues more easily than other stimulus features, as indicated both by the speed of initial task acquisition and by the extent to which acquired discriminations can be reversed. Phenomena associated with discrimination learning in laboratory animals, including generalisation and peak shift, have been demonstrated in horses. However, the ability of horses to classify stimuli into categories is more controversial. Although there is some evidence that horses may be able to form categories based on similarities in the physical appearance of different stimuli, there is currently no evidence that they are able to develop abstract concepts. Their performance on social learning tasks has also been poor. Few correlations are observed between the learning ability of individual horses on different tasks, suggesting that it may not be possible to classify individual horses as `good' or `poor' learners. Better learning performance by horses that are naturally calm is probably due to reduced interference in the learning process. Correct handling procedures can lower reactivity levels in horses, and may facilitate learning in some circumstances. Future research on equine learning needs to take into account the complex nature of equine social interaction. Studies on the effects of stress on learning, and on social and spatial cognition, are also particularly needed.  
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 405  
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Author Worden, R.P. url  openurl
  Title Primate social intelligence Type Journal Article
  Year 1996 Publication Cognitive Science Abbreviated Journal Cognit. Sci.  
  Volume 20 Issue 4 Pages 579-616  
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  Abstract A computational theory of primate social intelligence is proposed in which primates represent social situations internally by discrete symbol structures, called scripts. Three well-defined computational operations on scripts are sufficient to support social learning, planning, and prediction. This gives a formal, predictive model with which to analyse how primate social knowledge is acquired, as well as how it is used. The theory is compared with primate data, such as Cheney and Seyfarth's observations of vervet monkeys. It gives simple, understandable script-based analyses of many observed phenomena--such as the recognition and use of kin relations, learning of alarm calls, habituation to calls, knowledge of rank, tactical deception, and attachment behaviour. I argue that a tight, concise theory of social cognition, such as script theory, is needed to explain the rapid learning and social guile seen in primates. It also has the benefits of simplicity and testability. The extension of scripts to incorporate a primate theory of mind is described in a subsequent paper.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 407  
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Author Plotnik, J.M.; de Waal, F.B.M.; Reiss, D. doi  openurl
  Title Self-recognition in an Asian elephant 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 45 Pages 17053-17057  
  Keywords Animals; Asia; *Behavior, Animal; Cognition; Elephants/*psychology; Female; Photic Stimulation  
  Abstract Considered an indicator of self-awareness, mirror self-recognition (MSR) has long seemed limited to humans and apes. In both phylogeny and human ontogeny, MSR is thought to correlate with higher forms of empathy and altruistic behavior. Apart from humans and apes, dolphins and elephants are also known for such capacities. After the recent discovery of MSR in dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), elephants thus were the next logical candidate species. We exposed three Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) to a large mirror to investigate their responses. Animals that possess MSR typically progress through four stages of behavior when facing a mirror: (i) social responses, (ii) physical inspection (e.g., looking behind the mirror), (iii) repetitive mirror-testing behavior, and (iv) realization of seeing themselves. Visible marks and invisible sham-marks were applied to the elephants' heads to test whether they would pass the litmus “mark test” for MSR in which an individual spontaneously uses a mirror to touch an otherwise imperceptible mark on its own body. Here, we report a successful MSR elephant study and report striking parallels in the progression of responses to mirrors among apes, dolphins, and elephants. These parallels suggest convergent cognitive evolution most likely related to complex sociality and cooperation.  
  Address Living Links, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and Department of Psychology, Emory University, 532 North Kligo Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA  
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  ISSN 0027-8424 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:17075063 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 408  
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Author Cameron, E.Z. doi  openurl
  Title Facultative adjustment of mammalian sex ratios in support of the Trivers-Willard hypothesis: evidence for a mechanism Type Journal Article
  Year 2004 Publication Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society Abbreviated Journal Proc Biol Sci  
  Volume 271 Issue 1549 Pages 1723-1728  
  Keywords 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  
  Abstract 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.  
  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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  ISSN 0962-8452 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:15306293 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 413  
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Author Clutton-Brock, T.H.; Russell, A.F.; Sharpe, L.L.; Brotherton, P.N.; McIlrath, G.M.; White, S.; Cameron, E.Z. doi  openurl
  Title Effects of helpers on juvenile development and survival in meerkats Type Journal Article
  Year 2001 Publication Science (New York, N.Y.) Abbreviated Journal Science  
  Volume 293 Issue 5539 Pages 2446-2449  
  Keywords Animals; Breeding; Carnivora/growth & development/*physiology; *Cooperative Behavior; Feeding Behavior; Female; Male; Survival Rate; *Weight Gain  
  Abstract Although breeding success is known to increase with group size in several cooperative mammals, the mechanisms underlying these relationships are uncertain. We show that in wild groups of cooperative meerkats, Suricata suricatta, reductions in the ratio of helpers to pups depress the daily weight gain and growth of pups and the daily weight gain of helpers. Increases in the daily weight gain of pups are associated with heavier weights at independence and at 1 year of age, as well as with improved foraging success as juveniles and higher survival rates through the first year of life. These results suggest that the effects of helpers on the fitness of pups extend beyond weaning and that helpers may gain direct as well as indirect benefits by feeding pups.  
  Address Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK. thcb@hermes.cam.ac.uk  
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  ISSN 0036-8075 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:11577235 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 414  
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Author Chase, I.D.; Tovey, C.; Spangler-Martin, D.; Manfredonia, M. doi  openurl
  Title Individual differences versus social dynamics in the formation of animal dominance hierarchies Type Journal Article
  Year 2002 Publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Abbreviated Journal Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.  
  Volume 99 Issue 8 Pages 5744-5749  
  Keywords Animals; *Behavior, Animal; Fishes; Humans; *Social Behavior; *Social Dominance  
  Abstract Linear hierarchies, the classical pecking-order structures, are formed readily in both nature and the laboratory in a great range of species including humans. However, the probability of getting linear structures by chance alone is quite low. In this paper we investigate the two hypotheses that are proposed most often to explain linear hierarchies: they are predetermined by differences in the attributes of animals, or they are produced by the dynamics of social interaction, i.e., they are self-organizing. We evaluate these hypotheses using cichlid fish as model animals, and although differences in attributes play a significant part, we find that social interaction is necessary for high proportions of groups with linear hierarchies. Our results suggest that dominance hierarchy formation is a much richer and more complex phenomenon than previously thought, and we explore the implications of these results for evolutionary biology, the social sciences, and the use of animal models in understanding human social organization.  
  Address Department of Sociology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4356, USA. Ichase@notes.cc.sunysb.edu  
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  ISSN 0027-8424 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:11960030 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 442  
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Author Hemelrijk, C.K.; Wantia, J. doi  openurl
  Title Individual variation by self-organisation Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews Abbreviated Journal Neurosci Biobehav Rev  
  Volume 29 Issue 1 Pages 125-136  
  Keywords Aggression; Animals; Behavior, Animal/*physiology; Competitive Behavior/*physiology; Female; Humans; *Individuality; Male; Models, Psychological; Sex Characteristics; *Social Dominance; Time Factors  
  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.  
  Address Theoretical Biology, University of Groningen, NN Haren, The Netherlands. hemelrij@ifi.unizh.ch  
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  ISSN 0149-7634 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:15652260 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 443  
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Author Miller, G. doi  openurl
  Title Animal behavior. Signs of empathy seen in mice Type Journal Article
  Year 2006 Publication Science (New York, N.Y.) Abbreviated Journal Science  
  Volume 312 Issue 5782 Pages 1860-1861  
  Keywords Altruism; Animals; Behavior, Animal; *Empathy; Formaldehyde/administration & dosage; Mice/*psychology; Motivation; Pain/*psychology; *Social Behavior  
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  ISSN 1095-9203 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:16809499 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 461  
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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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  ISSN 1095-9203 ISBN Medium  
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  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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  ISSN 0027-8424 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:11459936 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 497  
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