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Hill, S. E., & Ryan, M. J. (2006). The role of model female quality in the mate choice copying behaviour of sailfin mollies. Biol Lett, 2(2), 203–205.
Abstract: Female mate choice copying is a socially mediated mate choice behaviour, in which a male's attractiveness to females increases if he was previously chosen by another female as a mate. Although copying has been demonstrated in numerous species, little is known about the specific benefits it confers to copying females. Here we demonstrate that the mate choice behaviour of female sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna) is influenced by the phenotypic quality of model females with whom males are observed consorting. Test females choosing between two males of similar body length were found to significantly increase time spent with previously non-preferred males after having observed them with a relatively high-quality female. Conversely, females were found to significantly decrease time spent with previously preferred males after having observed them with a relatively low-quality female. Female mate choice copying might be maintained by selection based on the heuristic value it provides females choosing between males whose quality differences are not easily distinguishable.
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Larose, C., Richard-Yris, M. - A., Hausberger, M., & Rogers, L. J. (2006). Laterality of horses associated with emotionality in novel situations. Laterality, 11(4), 355–367.
Abstract: We have established that lateral biases are characteristic of visual behaviour in 65 horses. Two breeds, Trotters and French Saddlebreds aged 2 to 3, were tested on a novel object test. The main finding was a significant correlation between emotionality index and the eye preferred to view the novel stimulus: the higher the emotionality, the more likely that the horse looked with its left eye. The less emotive French Saddlebreds, however, tended to glance at the object using the right eye, a tendency that was not found in the Trotters, although the emotive index was the same for both breeds. The youngest French Saddlebreds did not show this trend. These results are discussed in relation to the different training practices for the breeds and broader findings on lateralisation in different species.
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McGreevy, P. D., & Thomson, P. C. (2006). Differences in motor laterality between breeds of performance horse. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 99(1-2), 183–190.
Abstract: This study examined the relationship between motor laterality in horses bred for different types of work and therefore different temperaments. Foreleg preference during grazing was measured in three populations of domestic horse, Thoroughbreds (TB, bred to race at the gallop), Standardbreds (SB, bred for pacing) and Quarter Horses (QH, in this case bred for so-called “cutting work” which involves manoeuvring individual cattle in and out of herds). With a one-sample t-test, TBs showed strong evidence of a left preference in motor laterality (P = 0.000), as did SBs (P = 0.002) but there was no convincing evidence for laterality in QH (P = 0.117). However, the increasing trend in left preference from QH to SBs then TBs was associated with increasing differences between individual horses within a breed. The overall preference (either left or right) increased with age (P = 0.008) and the rate of increase varied with breeds. The presence of a higher proportion of left-foreleg preferent individuals in TBs and SBs compared with QH may indicate that their training or selection (or both) has an effect on motor bias.
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Ulloa, A., Gonzalez-Ceron, L., & Rodriguez, M. H. (2006). Host selection and gonotrophic cycle length of Anopheles punctimacula in southern Mexico. J Am Mosq Control Assoc, 22(4), 648–653.
Abstract: The host preference, survival rates, and length of the gonotrophic cycle of Anopheles punctimacula was investigated in southern Mexico. Mosquitoes were collected in 15-day separate experiments during the rainy and dry seasons. Daily changes in the parous-nulliparous ratio were recorded and the gonotrophic cycle length was estimated by a time series analysis. Anopheles punctimacula was most abundant during the dry season and preferred animals to humans. The daily survival rate in mosquitoes collected in animal traps was 0.96 (parity rate = 0.86; gonotrophic cycle = 4 days). The length of gonotrophic cycle of 4 days was estimated on the base of a high correlation coefficient value appearing every 4 days. The minimum time estimated for developing mature eggs after blood feeding was 72 h. The proportion of mosquitoes living enough to transmit Plasmodium vivax malaria during the dry season was 0.35.
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Krcmar, S., Mikuska, A., & Merdic, E. (2006). Response of Tabanidae (Diptera) to different natural attractants. J Vector Ecol, 31(2), 262–265.
Abstract: The response of female tabanids to natural attractants was studied in the Monjoros Forest along the Nature Park Kopacki rit in eastern Croatia. Tabanids were caught in canopy traps baited with either aged cow, horse, sheep, or pig urine and also in unbaited traps. Tabanids were collected in a significantly higher numbers in traps baited with natural attractants compared to unbaited traps. The number of females of Tabanus bromius, Tabanus maculicornis, Tabanus tergestinus, and Hybomitra bimaculata collected from canopy traps baited with cow urine and traps baited with other natural attractants differed significantly. Females of Haematopota pluvialis were also collected more frequently in canopy traps baited with aged cow urine than in those with aged horse urine, but this difference was not significant. However, the number of females of Haematopota pluvialis collected from canopy traps baited with other natural attractants (sheep and pig urine) differed significantly when compared with aged cow urine baited traps. Canopy traps baited with aged cow urine collected significantly more Tabanus sudeticus than did traps baited with aged pig urine. Finally, the aged cow urine baited canopy traps collected 51 times more tabanids than unbaited traps, while aged horse, aged sheep, and aged pig urine baited traps collected 36, 30, and 22 times as many tabanids, respectively, than unbaited traps.
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Krcmar, S., & Maric, S. (2006). Analysis of the feeding sites for some horse flies (Diptera, Tabanidae) on a human in Croatia. Coll Antropol, 30(4), 901–904.
Abstract: The landing patterns of horse flies on the human body were observed in Croatia. A total of 386 horse flies belonging to 22 species were sampled. The five most commonly collected species were used in the analysis. The stochastic linear connection is tight among the landings of the species Tabanus bromius, Tabanus maculicornis, Tabanus tergestinus, and Philipomyia graeca on the human body regions (matrix R). The preferred feeding area for these four species was the lower leg, whereas for the species Haematopota pluvialis it was the head and neck. Of the total number of horse flies that landed 44.81% were on the lower leg. Only 0.26% landed on the forearm. Chi-square analysis indicated non random landing patterns on human by these horse flies.
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Bentley, T., Macky, K., & Edwards, J. (2006). Injuries to New Zealanders participating in adventure tourism and adventure sports: an analysis of Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) claims. N Z Med J, 119(1247), U2359.
Abstract: AIMS: The aim of this study was to examine the involvement of adventure tourism and adventure sports activity in injury claims made to the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). METHODS: Epidemiological analysis of ACC claims for the period, July 2004 to June 2005, where adventure activities were involved in the injury. RESULTS: 18,697 adventure tourism and adventure sports injury claims were identified from the data, representing 28 activity sectors. Injuries were most common during the summer months, and were most frequently located in the major population centres. The majority of injuries were incurred by claimants in the 20-50 years age groups, although claimants over 50 years of age had highest claims costs. Males incurred 60% of all claims. Four activities (horse riding, mountain biking, tramping/hiking, and surfing) were responsible for approximately 60% of all adventure tourism and adventure sports-related injuries. Slips, trips, and falls were the most common injury initiating events, and injuries were most often to the back/spine, shoulder, and knee. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest the need to investigate whether regulatory intervention in the form of codes of practice for high injury count activities such as horse riding and mountain biking may be necessary. Health promotion messages and education programs should focus on these and other high-injury risk areas. Improved risk management practices are required for commercial adventure tourism and adventure sports operators in New Zealand if safety is to be improved across this sector.
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Naylor, J. M., Poirier, K. L., Hamilton, D. L., & Dowling, P. M. (2006). The effects of feeding and fasting on gastrointestinal sounds in adult horses. J Vet Intern Med, 20(6), 1408–1413.
Abstract: The effect of changes in feed intake on auscultatable gastrointestinal sounds has not been systematically studied. Disagreement also is present in the literature about variation in sounds according to the quadrant of auscultation. Gastrointestinal sounds were recorded over the center of the left dorsal, left ventral, right ventral, and right dorsal quadrants and over the middle of the right abdominal flank. During 24 hours (n = 4) or 48 hours (n = 5) of fasting, there was a reduction in the intensity of gastrointestinal sounds as assessed by analysis of sound recordings. There was also a reduction in the number of mixing-like and propulsive-like sounds heard by 2 blinded observers. After refeeding, there was a marked increase in sound. Sound intensity varied among abdominal quadrants, but blinded observers did not notice significant differences in the number of mixing-like sounds. The left dorsal quadrant was quieter than others during fasting and refeeding. The right ventral quadrant appeared to be least affected by fasting, and sounds were louder over the right ventral and right middle quadrants than over the others. The blinded observers' perceptions of sound correlated poorly with one another and with objective measures of sound intensity. This experiment demonstrates the effectiveness of computerized analysis of abdominal sound in detecting a reduction in the intensity of gastrointestinal sounds during fasting and their return during refeeding. The left dorsal quadrant was quieter than other quadrants, likely because of its position over the small colon. There was considerable observer variation in the number of intestinal sounds heard.
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Zhao, C. J., Qin, Y. H., Lee, X. H., & Wu, C. (2006). Molecular and cytogenetic paternity testing of a male offspring of a hinny. J Anim Breed Genet, 123(6), 403–405.
Abstract: An alleged male foal of a female mule, whose sire and grandparents were unknown, was identified for its pedigree. Parentage testing was conducted by comparing polymorphism of 12 microsatellite DNA sites and mitochondrial D-loop sequences of the male foal and the female mule. Both the sequence analysis of species-specific DNA fragments and a cytogenetic analysis were performed to identify the species of the foal and its parents. The results showed that the alleged female mule is actually a hinny, and the male foal, which possesses 62 chromosomes, qualifies as an offspring of the female hinny and a jack donkey.
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Peltzer, K., Mabilu, M. G., Mathoho, S. F., Nekhwevha, A. P., Sikhwivhilu, T., & Sinthumule, T. S. (2006). Trauma history and severity of gambling involvement among horse-race gamblers in a South African gambling setting. Psychol Rep, 99(2), 472–476.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the frequency of gambling involvement and the prevalence of problem gambling among horse race gamblers and to discover whether problem gambling in this sample is associated with a history of trauma. Among a sample of 266 South African horse-race gamblers (94% men and 6% women, Mage 46.8 yr., SD = 13.9, range 18-85 years), 31.2% were classified as probable pathological gamblers and 19.9% with problem gambling. Major weekly gambling activities included racetrack betting (82%), purchase of lottery tickets or scratch tickets (35%), purchase of sports lottery tickets (23%), and using casino type games (18%). Trauma history was significantly associated with gambling severity.
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