Records |
Author |
Wolf, M.; van Doorn, G.S.; Leimar, O.; Weissing, F.J. |
Title |
Life-history trade-offs favour the evolution of animal personalities |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
Volume |
447 |
Issue |
7144 |
Pages |
581-584 |
Keywords |
Aggression/physiology/psychology; Animals; Behavior, Animal/*physiology; *Evolution; Exploratory Behavior/physiology; Models, Biological; Personality/*physiology; Predatory Behavior/physiology; Reproduction/physiology; Risk-Taking; Selection (Genetics) |
Abstract |
In recent years evidence has been accumulating that personalities are not only found in humans but also in a wide range of other animal species. Individuals differ consistently in their behavioural tendencies and the behaviour in one context is correlated with the behaviour in multiple other contexts. From an adaptive perspective, the evolution of animal personalities is still a mystery, because a more flexible structure of behaviour should provide a selective advantage. Accordingly, many researchers view personalities as resulting from constraints imposed by the architecture of behaviour (but see ref. 12). In contrast, we show here that animal personalities can be given an adaptive explanation. Our argument is based on the insight that the trade-off between current and future reproduction often results in polymorphic populations in which some individuals put more emphasis on future fitness returns than others. Life-history theory predicts that such differences in fitness expectations should result in systematic differences in risk-taking behaviour. Individuals with high future expectations (who have much to lose) should be more risk-averse than individuals with low expectations. This applies to all kinds of risky situations, so individuals should consistently differ in their behaviour. By means of an evolutionary model we demonstrate that this basic principle results in the evolution of animal personalities. It simultaneously explains the coexistence of behavioural types, the consistency of behaviour through time and the structure of behavioural correlations across contexts. Moreover, it explains the common finding that explorative behaviour and risk-related traits like boldness and aggressiveness are common characteristics of animal personalities. |
Address |
Theoretical Biology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Kerklaan 30, 9751 NN Haren, The Netherlands |
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1476-4687 |
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PMID:17538618 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4098 |
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Author |
Bell, A.M. |
Title |
Evolutionary biology: animal personalities |
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Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
Volume |
447 |
Issue |
7144 |
Pages |
539-540 |
Keywords |
Aggression/physiology/psychology; Animals; Behavior, Animal/*physiology; *Evolution; Humans; *Models, Biological; Personality/genetics/*physiology; Reproduction/genetics/physiology; Risk-Taking; Selection (Genetics) |
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1476-4687 |
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PMID:17538607 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4099 |
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Kulikova, E.E; Isaeva, A.S.; Rotkina, A.S.; Manykin, A.A.; Letarov, A.V. |
Title |
Diversity and dynamics of bacteriophages in horse feces |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Microbiology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Microbiology |
Volume |
76 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
271-278 |
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Abstract |
The complex cellulolytic microbial community of the horse intestines is a convenient model for studying the ecology of bacteriophages in natural habitats. Unlike the rumen of the ruminants, this community of the equine large intestine is not subjected to digestion. The inner conditions of the horse gut are much more stable in comparison to other mammals, due to the fact that the horse diet remains almost unchanged and the intervals between food consumption and defecation are much shorter than the whole digestive cycle. The results of preliminary analysis of the structure and dynamics of the viral community of horse feces, which combines direct and culture methods, are presented. In horse fecal samples, we detected more than 60 morphologically distinct phage types, the majority of which were present as a single phage particle. This indicates that the community includes no less than several hundreds of phage types. Some phage types dominated and constituted 5-11% of the total particle count each. The most numerous phage type had an unusual morphology: the tails of its members were extremely long (about 700 nm), flexible, and irretractable, while their heads were 100 nm in diameter. Several other phage types with similar but not identical properties were detected. The total coliphage plaque count of the samples taken from three animals revealed significant fluctuations in the phage titers. During the observation time, the maximum titer ranged within four orders of magnitude (10(3)-10(7) plaque forming units (PFU)/g); the minimum titer ranged within two orders of magnitude. The samples contained two to five morphologically distinct and potentially competitive coliphage types, specific to a single Escherichia coli strain. |
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Russian |
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0026-3656 |
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PMID:17583225 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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2618 |
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Author |
Bates, L.A.; Byrne, R.W. |
Title |
Creative or created: Using anecdotes to investigate animal cognition |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Methods |
Abbreviated Journal |
Methods |
Volume |
42 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
12-21 |
Keywords |
Anecdote; Creativity; Intelligence; Deception; Innovation; African elephant |
Abstract |
In non-human animals, creative behaviour occurs spontaneously only at low frequencies, so is typically missed by standardised observational methods. Experimental approaches have tended to rely overly on paradigms from child development or adult human cognition, which may be inappropriate for species that inhabit very different perceptual worlds and possess quite different motor capacities than humans. The analysis of anecdotes offers a solution to this impasse, provided certain conditions are met. To be reliable, anecdotes must be recorded immediately after observation, and only the records of scientists experienced with the species and the individuals concerned should be used. Even then, interpretation of a single record is always ambiguous, and analysis is feasible only when collation of multiple records shows that a behaviour pattern occurs repeatedly under similar circumstances. This approach has been used successfully to study a number of creative capacities of animals: the distribution, nature and neural correlates of deception across the primate order; the occurrence of teaching in animals; and the neural correlates of several aptitudes--in birds, foraging innovation, and in primates, innovation, social learning and tool-use. Drawing on these approaches, we describe the use of this method to investigate a new problem, the cognition of the African elephant, a species whose sheer size and evolutionary distance from humans renders the conventional methods of comparative psychology of little use. The aim is both to chart the creative cognitive capacities of this species, and to devise appropriate experimental methods to confirm and extend previous findings. |
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1046-2023 |
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also special issue: Neurocognitive Mechanisms of Creativity: A Toolkit |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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6185 |
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Author |
Dubois, C.; Ricard, A. |
Title |
Efficiency of past selection of the French Sport Horse: Selle Francais breed and suggestions for the future |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Livestock Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
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112 |
Issue |
1-2 |
Pages |
161-171 |
Keywords |
Horse; Genetic trend; Selection; Jumping |
Abstract |
Parameters of genetic trend of Selle Francais (SF) horse breed were studied from 1974 to 2002 and detailed since 1991 because historical BLUP animal model genetic evaluation for jumping competition was available since 1989. During this period, annual births varied from 6000 to 10,000. The annual genetic trend for show jumping was 0.055 of genetic standard deviation between 1985 and 1995 and 0.096 since 1995 without unfavourable trend for dressage (ΔG = + 0.002) and eventing (ΔG = + 0.011). The three parameters of genetic trend: the selection intensity (i = 1.95 for males, 0.48 for females), the accuracy (r = 0.66 for males, 0.60 for females), and the generation interval (L = 12.0 years for males, 11.5 for females) explained this result. Particularities were: a higher number of progeny for best sires which induced true selection intensity equal to 2.21, a new and important selection on progeny (46% births form sires tested on progeny between 2000 and 2002), a high rate of own performance test in competition for mares (45%) which induced high accuracy of mare pathway. However, demographic possibilities were not reached, the possible selection rate for male (1.5%) and females (49%) should increase genetic gain + 14% and + 11% respectively. The generation interval was too long: a better selection at first stage for males, with equal rapid test on progeny and a shorter period of reproduction, i.e. a higher number of foals per sire, should decrease the relative importance of progeny test and should decrease generation interval. The drop of mares aged more than 10 at first progeny should decrease 1.2 year generation interval without loss on accuracy. If breeders keep the same structure (test of stallion and majority of mares on their own performance), they could add new criteria (conformation, gaits...) in the breeding value estimation for SF and maintain the high genetic trend on jumping. |
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refbase @ user @ |
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3946 |
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Author |
Ducro, B.J.; Koenen, E.P.C.; van Tartwijk, J.M.F.M.; Bovenhuis, H. |
Title |
Genetic relations of movement and free-jumping traits with dressage and show-jumping performance in competition of Dutch Warmblood horses |
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Journal Article |
Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Livestock Science |
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107 |
Issue |
2-3 |
Pages |
227-234 |
Keywords |
Horse; Heritability; Movement; Free-jumping; Dressage |
Abstract |
Genetic parameters for traits evaluated at the studbook entry inspection and genetic correlations with dressage and show-jumping performance in competition were estimated. Data comprised 36,649 Warmblood horses that entered the studbook between 1992 and 2002. The genetic analyses were performed using univariate and bivariate animal models. Heritabilities of the studbook entry traits were estimated in the range 0.15-0.40. The movement traits showed moderate to strong mutual genetic correlations, whereas the genetic correlations of movement traits with free-jumping traits were weak to moderate. The free-jumping traits showed strong to very strong mutual genetic correlations. Competition results of 33,459 horses with performance in dressage and 30,474 horse with performance in show-jumping were linked to the studbook entry data to estimate the genetic relationship with performance in competition. Heritability estimates for dressage and show jumping were 0.14. Genetic correlations of the movement traits with dressage were moderate to strong, and with show-jumping weak to moderate. Genetic correlations of the free-jumping traits with dressage were weak to moderate and unfavourable. The free-jumping traits were genetically strong to very strong correlated to show-jumping. It was concluded that a selection of the traits evaluated at the studbook entry inspection will favourably contribute to estimation of breeding values for sport performance. |
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refbase @ user @ |
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3947 |
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Author |
Ducro, B.J.; Koenen, E.P.C.; van Tartwijk, J.M.F.M.; van Arendonk, J.A.M. |
Title |
Genetic relations of First Stallion Inspection traits with dressage and show-jumping performance in competition of Dutch Warmblood horses |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Livestock Science |
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Volume |
107 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
81-85 |
Keywords |
Riding horse; Heritability; Stallion inspection; Dressage; Show-jumping |
Abstract |
Genetic parameters for traits evaluated at the First Stallion Inspection (FSI) and genetic correlations with dressage and show-jumping performance in competition were estimated. Data comprised 2361 stallions with FSI-observations from 1994 through 1999. Genetic analyses were performed using univariate and bivariate animal models. Heritability estimates of the FSI-traits ranged from 0.25 to 0.61. FSI-traits related to gaits showed strong genetic correlations (above 0.70) and FSI-traits related to free jumping had correlations close to unity. Competition results of 23,897 horses with performance in dressage and 22,811 horses with performance in show-jumping were linked to the FSI data to estimate the genetic relationship with performance in competition. Heritability estimates for dressage and show-jumping were 0.14. Genetic correlation between FSI-gaits and dressage in competition were positive, ranging from 0.37 to 0.72. Genetic correlation between FSI-jumping traits and show-jumping were all above 0.80. FSI-jumping traits showed negative correlations with dressage (about – 0.48). FSI-gait traits showed negative correlations with show-jumping, except for canter. It is concluded that selection at First Stallion Inspection comprises an important component of the stallion selection program, because FSI-traits have good genetic relationships with performance in competition and, due to the number of animals involved, relative high selection intensities can be achieved. |
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refbase @ user @ |
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3948 |
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Author |
Austin, N.P.; Rogers, L.J. |
Title |
Asymmetry of flight and escape turning responses in horses |
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Journal Article |
Year |
2007 |
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Laterality |
Abbreviated Journal |
Laterality |
Volume |
12 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
464-474 |
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We investigated whether horses display greater reactivity to a novel stimulus presented in the left compared to the right monocular visual field, and whether a population bias exists for escape turning when the same stimulus was presented binocularly. Domestic horses (N=30) were tested on three occasions by a person opening an umbrella five metres away and then approaching. The distance each horse moved away before stopping was measured. Distance was greatest for approach on the left side, indicating right hemisphere control of flight behaviour, and thus followed the same pattern found previously in other species. When order of monocular presentation was considered, an asymmetry was detected. Horses tested initially on the left side exhibited greater reactivity for left approach, whereas horses tested on the right side first displayed no side difference in reactivity. Perhaps left hemisphere inhibition of flight response allowed horses to learn that the stimulus posed no threat and this information was transferred to the right hemisphere. No population bias existed for the direction of escape turning, but horses that turned to the right when approached from the front were found to exhibit longer flight distances than those that turned to the left. |
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University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia |
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1357-650X |
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PMID:17712716 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4304 |
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J. Keay-Bright, J.B. |
Title |
The influence of land management on soil erosion in the Sneeuberg Mountains, Central Karoo, South Africa |
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Journal Article |
Year |
2007 |
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Land Degradation & Development |
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18 |
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4 |
Pages |
423-439 |
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Farm practices in the Sneeuberg Mountains, Karoo, South Africa are examined to assess their contribution to the development of the observed gullies and badlands. Data from the literature is augmented by interviews with local farmers and measurements in the field. Changes in stocking rates, grazing systems and technological advances are assessed for their impact on soil erosion, vegetation cover and species composition. The possibility of natural and managed rehabilitation of badland areas is discussed, as are future prospects for farm management in the Sneeuberg. The findings suggest that high stock numbers and less benign management practices in the 19th century and the early 20th century underlie much of the degradation seen today. Copyright – 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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1099-145x |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ J.Keay-Bright2007 |
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3548 |
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King, S.R.B.; Gurnell, J. |
Title |
Scent-marking behaviour by stallions: an assessment of function in a reintroduced population of Przewalski horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) |
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Journal Article |
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2007 |
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Journal of Zoology |
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J Zool |
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272 |
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1 |
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30-36 |
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Abstract Scent marking is a common form of intraspecific communication in mammal species, and using faeces or urine is a cost-effective way of signalling competitive ability and resource holding power. Marking is ritually performed by male equids, and here we assess the function of male scent-marking behaviour in a recently introduced population of Przewalski horses Equus ferus przewalskii in Mongolia. Two forms of scent marking were observed: defecation on stud piles formed from repeated dunging in the same place, and overmarking of faeces and urine of mares. Stud piles were marked with dung by the harem holder and sniffed before and after dung was deposited. They were not found specifically at the periphery of harem ranges but occurred for the most part along routes used by the horses, and were more common in the core parts of harem ranges or where harem ranges overlapped. Thus, rather than being used to defend range boundaries, stud piles were placed predominantly where they would be encountered by male intruders. Mare excreta were covered with urine by the stallion, but were only sniffed before they were marked, not after. These marks appear to advertise to the mare and other, intruding stallions that the harem holder was the mare's consort and that the interloper should not risk trying to steal the mare or sneak a mating. Thus, the two forms of marking by harem holders appear to combine as first and second lines of defence of paternity rights in male intrasexual competition. |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ King2007 |
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2315 |
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