Abstract: Social relationships significantly influence physiology and behavior, including the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal axis, anxiety, and mental
health. Disruption of social bonds through separation or death often results in profound grieving, depression, and physical illness. As the
monogamous prairie vole forms enduring, selective pair bonds with the mating partner, they provide an animal model to study the
physiological consequences of pair bonding and, thus, the loss of the bonded partner. Male prairie voles were paired with a novel female
or male sibling. After 5 days, half of the males of each group were separated from the partner. Elevated plus-maze, forced swim, and tail
suspension tests were used to assess anxiety-like and passive stress-coping behaviors indicative of depressive-like behavior. Following 4
days of separation from the female but not the male partner, experimental males displayed increased passive stress-coping. This effect
was abolished by long-term intracerebroventricular infusion of a nonselective corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor antagonist
without disrupting the bond itself. Both CRF type 1 and 2 receptors were involved in the emergence of passive stress-coping behavior.
Furthermore, pairing with a female was associated with elevated CRF mRNA in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and partner loss
elicited a pronounced increase in circulating corticosteroid and adrenal weight. We speculate that the CRF system may mediate an
aversive affect following separation from the female partner, which may facilitate proximity seeking between the pair-bonded individuals.
Hence, the prairie vole model may provide insights into brain mechanisms involved in the psychopathological consequences of partner
loss.

Abstract: Das Droh- und Meideverhalten von 270 Pferden wurde im Fressbereich von 10 Offenlaufställen
mit Fressständen und 11 Offenlaufställen mit computergesteuerten Abrufstationen
anhand von visuellen kontinuierlichen Direktbeobachtungen erfasst. Diese erfolgten je Betrieb
über einen 24-Stunden-Tag, der nach dem Tortenstückverfahren (6x4 Stunden) zusammengesetzt
war.
Insgesamt wurden 6297 agonistische Verhaltensweisen in, vor und hinter den
Fütterungseinrichtungen registriert (Meiden 40,6 %, Verdrängen 12,8 %, Beißen/ Hinterhandschlag/
Angehen 12,7 % und Drohen/ Drohbeißen/ Hinterhanddrohen 33,9 %). In den
Futterstationen wurden 22,5 % dieses Verhaltens beobachtet, vor und hinter den Futterstationen
77,5 %. Bei den Betrieben mit Fressständen fanden 31 % der agonistischen Verhaltensweisen
in den Ständen statt, bei den Betrieben mit Abruffütterung 21 %.
Der Einfl uss des einzelnen Betriebes (innerhalb Fütterungssystem) auf die agonistischen
Verhaltensweisen vor und hinter den Fütterungseinrichtungen war signifi kant. Die Auswertung
ergab, dass Drohgesten im Wartebereich von Abrufstationen häufi ger auftreten
als in dem von Fressständen. Demgegenüber können Pferde in Abrufstationen ungestörter
fressen. Insgesamt betrachtet war jedoch die Anzahl an sozionegativen Interaktionen im
Bereich der Futtereinrichtungen bei beiden Fütterungssystemen gering. Die agonistischen
Verhaltensweisen wurden zusätzlich noch von der Heumenge und dem Konstitutionstyp
beeinfl usst.
Der Betrieb erwies sich als maßgeblicher Einfl ussfaktor. Als Resümee ergibt sich, dass
bei ordnungsgemäßer Gruppenhaltung mit fachgerechtem Management beide Fütterungssysteme
für Pferde im Offenlaufstall geeignet sind.
[The threatening and avoiding behaviour of 270 horses living in run-out sheds was observed
at 10 stables with feeding stalls and at 11 stables with automatic feeding systems for hay
and concentrates. Every group of horses was observed on five succeeding days visually
and immediately for 6 sessions, each of 4 hours. These 6 slices form together 24 hours, a
complete day.
Altogether, 6297 agonistic behaviour patterns were registered in front of, inside and
behind the feeding stations (avoiding behaviour 40.6 %, edging out of others 12.8 %,
Auseinandersetzungen an automatischer Abruffütterung und Fressständen
KTBL-Schrift 471 79
biting/rear leg kicking/charging 12.7 % und threatening/biting threats/rear leg kicking
threats 33.9 %). 22.5 % of these types of behaviour were recorded in the feeding stations,
77.5 % together in front and behind of these. In the stables with feeding stalls there were
31 % of the observed threatening gestures inside the feeding stations, in the stables with
automatic feeders only 21 %.
The individual farm showed signifi cant infl uence on the modes of agonistic behaviour
in front and behind the feeding facilities. Threatening gestures happen more often in the
waiting area of automatic feeders than in that of feeding stalls. On the other hand horses
in computer controlled systems will be less disturbed at eating. All together the number
of negative interactions in the feeding area at both feeding systems was relatively low.
In addition the agonistic behaviour was infl uenced by the quantity of hay and the constitutional
typ of the horses.
Because of the management of the individual stable exercises the most substantial
infl uence on the behaviour of the horses, it can be said, that, correct group keeping with
professional management provided, both feeding systems are suitable for horses in run-in
sheds.]

Abstract: Benjamin Beck's definition of tool use has served the field of animal cognition well for over 25 years (Beck 1980, Animal Tool Behavior: the Use and Manufacture of Tools, New York, Garland STPM). This article proposes a new, more explanatory definition that accounts for tool use in terms of two complementary subcategories of behaviours: behaviours aimed at altering a target object by mechanical means and behaviours that mediate the flow of information between the tool user and the environment or other organisms in the environment. The conceptual foundation and implications of the new definition are contrasted with those of existing definitions, particularly Beck's. The new definition is informally evaluated with respect to a set of scenarios that highlights differences from Beck's definition as well as those of others in the literature.

Abstract: There are numerous reports of novel learned behaviour patterns in animal populations, yet the factors influencing the invention and spread of these innovations remain poorly understood. Here we investigated to what extent the pattern of spread of innovations in captive groups of starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, could be predicted by knowledge of individual and social group variables, including association patterns, social rank orders, measures of neophobia and asocial learning performance. We presented small groups of starlings with a series of novel extractive foraging tasks and recorded the latency for each bird to contact and solve each task, as well as the orders of contacting and solving. We then explored which variables best predicted the observed diffusion patterns. Object neophobia and social rank measures characterized who was the first of the group to contact the novel foraging tasks, and the subsequent spread of contacting tasks was associated with latency to feed in a novel environment. Asocial learning performance, measured in isolation, predicted who was the first solver of the novel foraging tasks in each group. Association patterns did not predict the spread of solving. Contact latency and solving duration were negatively correlated, consistent with social learning underlying the spread of solving. Our findings indicate that we can improve our understanding of the diffusion dynamics of innovations in animal groups by investigating group-dependent and individual variables in combination. We introduce novel methods for exploring predictors of the origin and spread of behavioural innovations that could be widely applied.