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Barry, K. J., & Crowell-Davis, S. L. (1999). Gender differences in the social behavior of the neutered indoor-only domestic cat. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 64(3), 193–211.
Abstract: The domestic cat exhibits a wide variety of social behavior. The aim of this experiment was to investigate factors which influence the affiliative and aggressive behavior of the indoor-only neutered domestic cat. Some 60 households comprised of either two males, two females or a male and female cat were observed. The cats were between 6 months and 8 years old, and were always restricted to the indoors. Each pair of housemates was observed for 10 h. There were no significant differences in affiliative or aggressive behavior based on cat gender. However, females were never observed to allorub other females. The male/male households did spend more time in close proximity. The amount of time the cats had lived together was negatively correlated with the amount of aggression observed during the study. Factors such as size of the house and weight difference between the cats did not correlate with the aggression rate. Large standard deviations and the correlations of social behavior between housemates indicated the importance of individual differences in behavior.
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Tomkins, L. M., Williams, K. A., Thomson, P. C., & McGreevy, P. D. (2010). Sensory Jump Test as a measure of sensory (visual) lateralization in dogs (Canis familiaris). Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 5(5), 256–267.
Abstract: Sensory lateralization in dogs (n = 74) was investigated in this study using our innovation, the Sensory Jump Test. This required the modification of head halters to create three different ocular treatments (binocular, right, and left monocular vision) for eye preference assessment in a jumping task. Ten jumps were recorded as a jump set for each treatment. Measurements recorded included (i) launch and landing paws, (ii) type of jump, (iii) approach distance, (iv) clearance height of the forepaw, hindpaw, and the lowest part of the body to clear the jump, and (v) whether the jump was successful. Factors significantly associated with these jump outcomes included ocular treatment, jump set number, and replication number. Most notably, in the first jump set, findings indicated a left hemispheric dominance for the initial navigation of the Sensory Jump Test, as left monocular vision (LMV) compromised of jumping more than right monocular (RMV) and binocular vision, with a significantly reduced approach distance and forepaw clearance observed in dogs with LMV. However, by the third jump set, dogs undergoing LMV launched from a greater approach distance and with a higher clearance height, corresponding to an increase in success rate of the jump, in comparison with RMV and binocular vision dogs. A marginally non-significant RMV bias was observed for eye preference based on the laterality indices for approach distance (P = 0.060) and lowest body part clearance height (P = 0.067). A comparison between eye preference and launching or landing paws showed no association between these measures of sensory and motor laterality. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report on sensory lateralization in the dog, and furthermore, to compare both motor and sensory laterality in dogs.
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Marr, I., Stefanski, V., & Krueger, K. (2022). Lateralität – ein Indikator für das Tierwohl?[Laterality – an animal welfare indicator?]. Der Praktische Tierarzt, 103(12/2022), 1246–12757.
Abstract: Ein gutes Tierwohl definiert sich nicht nur durch die Abwesenheit von Stressindikatoren, sondern auch durch das Vorhandensein von Indikatoren, die auf ein gutes Wohlergehen hinweisen. So können stressbedingte Erkrankungen vermieden werden. Zur Bestimmung des Tierwohls bei Pferden wurde daher untersucht, inwieweit sich die sensorische Lateralität (einseitiger Gebrauch von Sinnesorganen) und die motorische Lateralität (einseitiger Gebrauch von Gliedmaßen) als einfach, schnell und kostengünstig zu erhebende Parameter eignen. Hierzu werden neben aktueller Literatur auch die eigenen Untersuchungsergebnisse zusammenfassend dargestellt. Die nach außen sichtbar werdende sensorische und motorische Lateralität sind das Resultat der cerebralen Lateralisierung. Dies beinhaltet nicht nur die Aufgabenteilung beider Gehirnhälften für ein effizienteres Aufnehmen und Speichern von Informationen, sondern sie steht auch in Verbindung mit der Entstehung und Verarbeitung von Emotionen, die maßgeblich am Wohlergehen eines Lebewesens beteiligt sind. Kurzzeitige Stressoren führen zu einer Erregung, die je nach Erfahrungen mit positiven oder negativen Emotionen in Verbindung steht. Emotionen helfen dem Organismus dabei, zu überleben. Andauernde negative Emotionen durch regelmäßige oder anhaltende negative Ereignisse führen zu Stress und reduzieren die Erwartung positiver Ereignisse (negativer cognitive Bias). Das Tier ist im Wohlergehen beeinträchtigt. Jüngst zeigte insbesondere die Messung der motorischen Lateralität Potenzial als Indikator für lang anhaltenden und chronischen Stress, denn gestresste Pferde, deren Stresshormonlevel stark ansteigt, zeigen einen zunehmenden Gebrauch der linken Gliedmaßen über einen längeren Zeitraum. Weiterhin zeigen erste Messungen einen Zusammenhang zwischen einer linksseitigen motorischen Lateralität und einer reduzierten Erwartung positiver Ereignisse (negativer cognitive Bias). Zusammen mit der sensorischen Lateralität, die in einer akuten Stressphase ebenso eine Linksverschiebung zeigt und somit als Indikator für Kurzzeitstress gilt, kann eine generelle, vermehrte Linksseitigkeit auch einen Hinweis auf erhöhte Emotionalität und Stressanfälligkeit sein. Eine sich steigernde Linksseitigkeit bedeutet eine präferierte Informationsverarbeitung durch die rechte Gehirnhälfte, die beispielsweise reaktives Verhalten, starke Emotionen und Stressantworten steuert. Es stellte sich jedoch heraus, dass wie bei allen Stressindikatoren auch in der Lateralitätsmessung ein Vergleichswert aus einer vorangegangenen Messung notwendig ist, denn nur Veränderungen zum häufiger werdenden Gebrauch der linken Seite können auf Stress bei Pferden hindeuten und die parallele Erhebung weiterer Parameter, wie zum Beispiel das Verhalten oder Stresshormone, können die Aussage der Lateralität bekräftigen.
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Van de Weerd, H. A., Seaman, S., Wheeler, K., Goddard, P., & Mclean, B. (2012). Use of artificial drinkers by unhandled semi-feral ponies. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 139(1-2), 86–95.
Abstract: This study investigated drinking behaviour of unhandled, semi-feral Dartmoor ponies. Aspects studied were drinking behaviour, latency to drink from novel unfamiliar drinkers after transport, preferences for different types of artificial water drinkers, effects of mixing with unfamiliar ponies and group size, on drinking behaviour, and the effect of a simulated market on the latency to drink. Ponies were tested in groups of three or six animals, or as individuals in test pens that were equipped with three water drinkers: bucket, automatic drinking bowl, flowing water trough. Behaviour was recorded using time-lapse video. An individual pony drank on average 10 l per day. Ponies also drank, but at a lower rate, during the night. The latencies to drink after 4.5 h of transport showed large variation, but most ponies drank within the first hour after being transported (all groups 80.5 ± 32.94 min, mean ± SEM). In the individual choice tests, the preferred drinkers were the bucket and the flowing water trough, but not the automatic drinking bowl (drinking time 25.2 ± 4.66, 11.5 ± 4.26, 2.4 ± 2.23 min for bucket, trough and bowl respectively, mean ± SEM; paired t-tests, bowl versus other drinkers, all tests p < 0.02). A possible reason for the avoidance of the automatic bowl was the noise it made when filling. After mixing a group of three ponies with a group of three unfamiliar animals, the ponies did not express their individual drinker preferences anymore. The use of the previously preferred bucket decreased significantly and the use of the initially, non-preferred, bowl increased significantly. This was likely caused by the fact that ponies were either intentionally or accidentally obstructing drinkers in certain areas of the pen and unfamiliar ponies did not want to push past them. In the simulated market, the differences in latencies to drink between ponies in the home pen and market groups did not reach significance. No significant effect of group size (groups of three versus six ponies) on drinking behaviour was detected. The results have implications for situations where only automatic water bowls are provided, such as during pony sales at livestock markets. Preventing ponies from expressing their drinking choice, either by offering non-preferred drinkers or by mixing with unfamiliar animals, could adversely affect their welfare especially if this happens in conjunction with other stressful events such as transport and markets, and potentially weaning.
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Reluga, T. C., & Viscido, S. (2005). Simulated evolution of selfish herd behavior. J. Theor. Biol., 234(2), 213–225.
Abstract: Single species aggregations are a commonly observed phenomenon. One potential explanation for these aggregations is provided by the selfish herd hypothesis, which states that aggregations result from individual efforts to reduce personnel predation risk at the expense of group-mates. Not all movement rules based on the selfish herd hypothesis are consistent with observed animal behavior. Previous work has shown that herd-like aggregations are not generated by movement rules limited to local interactions between nearest neighbors. Instead, rules generating realistic herds appear to require delocalized interactions. To date, it has been an open question whether or not the necessary delocalization can emerge from local interactions under natural selection. To address this question, we study an individual-based model with a single quantitative genetic trait that controls the influence of neighbors as a function of distance. The results indicate that predation-based selection can increase the influence of distant neighbors relative to near neighbors. Our results lend support for the idea that selfish herd behavior can arise from localized movement rules under natural selection.
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Piro, M., Benjouad, A., Karom, A., Nabich, A., Benbihi, N., El Allali, K., et al. (2011). Genetic Structure of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Carrier Horses in Morocco Inferred by Microsatellite Data. J. Equine Vet. Sci., 31(11), 618–624.
Abstract: A total of 17 microsatellite deoxyribonucleic acid loci used routinely for horse parentage control were used to evaluate genetic diversity among normal Arabian horses and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) carrier Arabian horses (ArS) and normal Arab-Barb horses and SCID carrier Arab-Barb horses (ArbeS). On the basis of the genotype of 186 horses, mean allelic diversity was estimated as 6.82, 5.53, and 6.7059 in normal Arabian horses, ArS, and for both groups of Arab-Barb horses, respectively. Five specific alleles were observed in ArS and ArbeS, with one common with ArS at HMS6, whereas five alleles common between ArS and ArbeS had a high frequency. Expected and observed heterozygosity showed great heterogeneity in the population studied and were similar or higher when compared with other studies on Arabian horses. Coefficient of gene differentiation Gst of Nei associated with Nei's genetic distance and multivariate correspondence analysis indicated a possible differentiation between the studied populations when analyzed separately according to breed. Probability of assignment of a horse to a specific group was assessed using a full and partial Bayesian approach. In all, 80.6% of Arab horses and 78.2% of Arab-Barb horses were assigned properly with a partial Bayesian test, which provided better results than the full one. These findings will be useful for identification of SCID carrier horses by using the microsatellite deoxyribonucleic acid loci used routinely for horse parentage control in our laboratory.
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Huebener, E. (2004). Die Bewegungen von Pferderumpf und -rücken aus der Sicht des Reiters. Tierärztl. Umschau, 6, 327–334.
Abstract: Die Bewegungen von Rumpf und Rücken des Pferdes in der Fortbewegung bestimmen Sitz und Schenkelhilfen – Grundlagen pferdgerechten und kultivierten, feinfühligen Reitens. In ihrer Tendenz ließen sich diese Bewegungen jetzt aus den Fußfolgen der Grundgangarten ableiten. Die Erkenntnisse sind per Video verifiziert. Mit ihrer Übersetzung in Diagramme wurde versucht, den gegenwärtigen Wissensstand für nicht-reitende Wissenschaftler und denkende Reiter gleichermaßen verständlich darzustellen. Die Akzeptanz des aufbereiteten Wissens in der Reiterei würde verbessert, wenn man zu gemessenen Werten für die Bewegungen des Pferderückens und des Pferderumpfes käme. Plädoyer eines “Nur-Reiters” für einschlägige, universitäre Forschung.
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Imbert, C., Caniglia, R., Fabbri, E., Milanesi, P., Randi, E., Serafini, M., et al. (2016). Why do wolves eat livestock?: Factors influencing wolf diet in northern Italy. Biological Conservation, 195, 156–168.
Abstract: Thanks to protection by law and increasing habitat restoration, wolves (Canis lupus) are currently re-colonizing Europe from the surviving populations of Russia, the Balkan countries, Spain and Italy, raising the need to update conservation strategies. A major conservation issue is to restore connections and gene flow among fragmented populations, thus contrasting the deleterious consequences of isolation. Wolves in Italy are expanding from the Apennines towards the Alps, crossing the Ligurian Mountains (northern Italy) and establishing connections with the Dinaric populations. Wolf expansion is threatened by poaching and incidental killings, mainly due to livestock depredations and conflicts with shepherds, which could limit the establishment of stable populations. Aiming to find out the factors affecting the use of livestock by wolves, in this study we determined the composition of wolf diet in Liguria. We examined 1457 scats collected from 2008 to 2013. Individual scats were genotyped using a non-invasive genetic procedure, and their content was determined using microscopical analyses. Wolves in Liguria consumed mainly wild ungulates (64.4%; in particular wild boar Sus scrofa and roe deer Capreolus capreolus) and, to a lesser extent, livestock (26.3%; in particular goats Capra hircus). We modeled the consumption of livestock using environmental features, wild ungulate community diversity, husbandry characteristics and wolf social organization (stable packs or dispersing individuals). Wolf diet varied according to years and seasons with an overall decrease of livestock and an increase of wild ungulate consumption, but also between packs and dispersing individuals with greater livestock consumption for the latter. The presence of stable packs, instead of dispersing wolves, the adoption of prevention measures on pastures, roe deer abundance, and the percentage of deciduous woods, reduced predation on livestock. Thus, we suggest promoting wild ungulate expansion, the use of prevention tools in pastures, and supporting wolf pack establishment, avoiding lethal control and poaching, to mitigate conflicts between wolf conservation and husbandry.
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Jafarzadeh A., Sadeghi M., Karam G.A., & Vazirinejad R. (2010). Salivary IgA and IgE levels in healthy subjects: relation to age and gender. Braz. Oral Res., 24(1), 21–27.
Abstract: It has been reported that the immune system undergoes age and gender changes. The aim of this study was to investigate the age- and gender-dependent changes of salivary IgA and IgE levels among healthy subjects. A total of 203 healthy individuals (aged 1-70 years) were enrolled in the study. Two milliliters of saliva were collected from all participants, and salivary IgA and IgE levels were measured by the ELISA technique. Mean salivary IgA levels were significantly higher in subjects aged 11-20 years as compared to subjects aged 1-10 years (P < 0.01). Mean salivary IgA levels increased with age up to the age of 60 years, and then slightly decreased in subjects aged 61-70 years. The frequency of subjects with detectable levels of salivary IgE and mean salivary IgE levels gradually increased with age, with maximum levels being observed in the 31-40 years age group and not changing significantly thereafter. The mean levels of salivary IgA and IgE in adults were significantly higher than those observed in children (P < 0.00001 and P < 0.05, respectively). No significant differences were observed between men and women regarding both salivary immunoglobulins. These results showed age-dependent changes of the salivary IgA and IgE levels. Gender had no effect on the salivary levels of IgA and IgE.
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Vetvik, H., Grewal, H. M. S., Haugen, I. L., Åhrén, C., & Haneberg, B. (1998). Mucosal antibodies can be measured in air-dried samples of saliva and feces. Journal of Immunological Methods, 215(1–2), 163–172.
Abstract: IgA antibodies reflecting airways or intestinal mucosal immune responses can be found in saliva and feces, respectively, and IgG antibodies reflecting serum antibodies can be found in saliva. In this study, antibodies were detected in samples of saliva and feces which had been air-dried at room temperature (+20°C) or +37°C, and stored at these temperatures for up to 6 months. In saliva the antibody levels increased, while the antibodies in feces decreased upon storage. The individual IgA antibody concentrations which were adjusted by using the ratios of specific IgA/total IgA were relatively stable in both saliva and feces, and correlated with corresponding antibody levels in samples which had been stored at -20°C. The results indicate that air-dried saliva and feces can be used for semiquantitative measurements of mucosal antibodies, even after prolonged storage at high temperatures and lack of refrigeration.
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