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Hakataya S, Katsu N, Okanoya K, Toya G. An exploratory study of behavioral traits and the establishment of social relationships in female laboratory rats. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0295280. [PMID: 38048339 PMCID: PMC10695365 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that social relationships influence individual fitness through various effects. Clarifying individual differences in social interaction patterns and determinants for such differences will lead to better understanding of sociality and its fitness consequences for animals. Behavioral traits are considered one of the determining factors of social interaction. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of individual behavioral traits on social relationship building in laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus), a highly social species. Initially, the following behavioral characteristics were measured in individuals: tameness (glove test), activity (open field test), exploration (novel object test), sociability (three-chamber test), and boldness (elevated plus maze test). We then used DeepLabCut to behaviorally track three groups of four individuals (12 total) and analyze social behaviors such as approach and avoidance behaviors. Principal component analysis based on behavioral test results detected behavioral traits interpreted as related to exploration, boldness, activity, and tameness, but not sociability. In addition, behavioral tracking results showed consistent individual differences in social behavior indices such as isolation time and partner preference. Furthermore, we found that different components were correlated with different phases of social behavior; exploration and boldness were associated with the early stages of group formation, whereas activity was associated with later stages of relationship building. From these results, we derived hypothesize that personality traits related to the physical and social environment have a larger influence in the relationship formation phase, and the behavioral trait of activity becomes important in the maintenance phase of relationships. Future studies should examine this hypothesis by testing larger group sizes and ensuring there is less bias introduced into group composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiomi Hakataya
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Advanced Comprehensive Research Organization, Teikyo University, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noriko Katsu
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Advanced Comprehensive Research Organization, Teikyo University, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Genta Toya
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Advanced Comprehensive Research Organization, Teikyo University, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan
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2
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Omena J, Izar P. Ontogenesis of sociability of wild immature capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus): Sex more than personality explains interindividual variation. Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23533. [PMID: 37394768 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Sociability is a fundamental trait that social animals need to survive and reproduce in societies. Sociability predicts how an individual can consistently interact with its conspecifics across time and situations. By studying capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus), a neotropical primate with complex social behavior and high cognitive capacity, our research aims to analyze the development of the social axis of personality of immature individuals, from birth to the third year of life. We studied wild monkeys belonging to a group with infants, juveniles, and adults of both sexes that inhabits northeastern Brazil. We analyzed the behavior of 12 immature capuchins (6 males and 6 females) in 94 h of videos recorded weekly from birth until 36 months, through daily focal sampling. We verified whether there was intraindividual consistency throughout development by fitting regression models for the effect of age on initiating affiliative social behaviors, controlling for monkey identity and sex. Our results indicate that the individuals of this study exhibit high variation in the initiation of behaviors at the beginning of infancy; there was low repeatability and high intra-individual variation during the first 3 years of life of these individuals, indicating that the social personality is not consolidated in this period. Immature females were more sociable than immature males. Therefore, differences in sociability in early life of bearded capuchin monkeys are best explained by sex rather than personality. We suggest that the high initial behavioral variation in the social axis of personality allows for plasticity influenced by the environment throughout development. The high sociability of females in infancy may be related to female philopatry and their high sociability in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Omena
- Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Izar
- Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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3
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McCully FR, Rose PE. Individual personality predicts social network assemblages in a colonial bird. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2258. [PMID: 36859497 PMCID: PMC9977762 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29315-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal personalities manifest as consistent individual differences in the performance of specific behavioural expressions. Personality research has implications for zoo animal welfare, as it can further our understanding of how captive individuals may differ in their resource use and provide insight into improving individual and group social health. For group living species, personality may enable assortment based on similar behaviour and influence an individual's interactions with conspecifics (e.g. social support). This research aimed to document how personality traits (aggressive, exploratory, submissive) influenced the social network structure of highly social animals in a captive environment. Data were collected from separate flocks of captive Caribbean (Phoenicopterus ruber) and Chilean flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) to identify relationships between birds and examine opportunities for social support. The flocks associated non-randomly, and in both cases, personality was a substantial predictor of network structure. Personality also predicted key elements of Caribbean flamingo social role (degree, betweenness and average association strength) conflict outcome, and propensity to provide social support, however these patterns were not replicated within the Chilean flamingo network. While both species appear to assort by personality, the broader relationship between personality and social role may vary depending on species and context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fionnuala R McCully
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L3 5DA, UK
| | - Paul E Rose
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QG, UK. .,WWT, Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, GL2 7BT, UK.
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4
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Papadaki K, Laliotis GP, Koutsouli P, Bizelis I. Association of personality traits with maintenance and social behaviour of rams (Ovis aries). Small Rumin Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2023.106928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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5
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Martin JS, Jaeggi AV, Koski SE. The social evolution of individual differences: Future directions for a comparative science of personality in social behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:104980. [PMID: 36463970 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Personality is essential for understanding the evolution of cooperation and conflict in behavior. However, personality science remains disconnected from the field of social evolution, limiting our ability to explain how personality and plasticity shape phenotypic adaptation in social behavior. Researchers also lack an integrative framework for comparing personality in the contextualized and multifaceted behaviors central to social interactions among humans and other animals. Here we address these challenges by developing a social evolutionary approach to personality, synthesizing theory, methods, and organizing questions in the study of individuality and sociality in behavior. We critically review current measurement practices and introduce social reaction norm models for comparative research on the evolution of personality in social environments. These models demonstrate that social plasticity affects the heritable variance of personality, and that individual differences in social plasticity can further modify the rate and direction of adaptive social evolution. Future empirical studies of frequency- and density-dependent social selection on personality are crucial for further developing this framework and testing adaptive theory of social niche specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan S Martin
- Human Ecology Group, Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Adrian V Jaeggi
- Human Ecology Group, Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Sonja E Koski
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, University of Helsinki, Finland.
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Lee VE, Arnott G, Turner SP. Social behavior in farm animals: Applying fundamental theory to improve animal welfare. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:932217. [PMID: 36032304 PMCID: PMC9411962 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.932217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental understanding of behavior is essential to improving the welfare of billions of farm animals around the world. Despite living in an environment managed by humans, farm animals are still capable of making important behavioral decisions that influence welfare. In this review, we focus on social interactions as perhaps the most dynamic and challenging aspects of the lives of farm animals. Social stress is a leading welfare concern in livestock, and substantial variation in social behavior is seen at the individual and group level. Here, we consider how a fundamental understanding of social behavior can be used to: (i) understand agonistic and affiliative interactions in farm animals; (ii) identify how artificial environments influence social behavior and impact welfare; and (iii) provide insights into the mechanisms and development of social behavior. We conclude by highlighting opportunities to build on previous work and suggest potential fundamental hypotheses of applied relevance. Key areas for further research could include identifying the welfare benefits of socio–positive interactions, the potential impacts of disrupting important social bonds, and the role of skill in allowing farm animals to navigate competitive and positive social interactions. Such studies should provide insights to improve the welfare of farm animals, while also being applicable to other contexts, such as zoos and laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria E. Lee
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Department, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Victoria E. Lee
| | - Gareth Arnott
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Simon P. Turner
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Department, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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7
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Gazes RP, Schrock AE, Leard CN, Lutz MC. Dominance and social interaction patterns in brown capuchin monkey (Cebus [Sapajus] apella) social networks. Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23365. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Regina Paxton Gazes
- Program in Animal Behavior Bucknell University Lewisburg Pennsylvania USA
- Department of Psychology Bucknell University Lewisburg Lewisburg USA
| | - Allie E. Schrock
- Program in Animal Behavior Bucknell University Lewisburg Pennsylvania USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology Duke University Durham North Carolina USA
| | - Corinne N. Leard
- Program in Animal Behavior Bucknell University Lewisburg Pennsylvania USA
| | - Meredith C. Lutz
- Program in Animal Behavior Bucknell University Lewisburg Pennsylvania USA
- Department of Mathematics Bucknell University Lewisburg Pennsylvania USA
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group University of California Davis California USA
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Norman M, Rowden LJ, Cowlishaw G. Potential applications of personality assessments to the management of non-human primates: a review of 10 years of study. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12044. [PMID: 34589296 PMCID: PMC8432321 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of primate personality have become increasingly common over the past three decades. Recently, studies have begun to focus on the health, welfare and conservation implications of personality, and the potential applications of incorporating quantitative personality assessments into animal management programmes. However, this literature is dispersed across a multitude of settings and scientific disciplines. We conducted a review of nonhuman primate personality studies relevant to these issues published since 2010, following on from an earlier review. The databases ScienceDirect, PubMed and Web of Science were used to identify relevant articles. After eliminating irrelevant or duplicate papers, 69 studies were selected. Our review reveals that, while primate personality research is carried out on a range of species, there is strong taxonomic bias. While 28 species appeared within the reviewed literature, 52% of studies were carried out on just five species. Further, the most common research focus (43%) was validating new assessment methods or describing personality in different species, rather than exploring the links between personality and animal welfare using existing validated methods. However, among the remaining studies that did explore the role of animal personality in husbandry, health, and welfare, we identified progression towards integrating personality data into various aspects of animal management. Evidence suggests the assessment of personality may benefit social group management, enrichment practices, training protocols, health and welfare monitoring, and conservation planning for endangered species. We argue that further research which develops our understanding of primate personality and its influence in these areas will provide a valuable tool to inform animal management practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Norman
- Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom.,Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Guy Cowlishaw
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
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Pomerantz O, Capitanio JP. Temperament Predicts the Quality of Social Interactions in Captive Female Rhesus Macaques ( Macaca mulatta). Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:2452. [PMID: 34438912 PMCID: PMC8388696 DOI: 10.3390/ani11082452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous reports suggest that female macaques with greater similarity in emotionality and nervous temperament, as evaluated in a well-established BioBehavioral Assessment (BBA) at the California National Primate Research Center, were more likely to form successful pairs. We tested whether the same measures can also predict the quality of social interactions among 20 female rhesus macaque pairs. We correlated the pairs' emotionality and nervous temperament scores obtained in infancy and the levels of behaviors recorded systematically during the pairing process years later. Supporting previous findings, partners with similar emotionality scores were more affiliative, and pairs with similar nervous temperament expressed less dominance/submissive behavior. Exploratorily, we found that pairs that were better at processing social information (part of BBA) were also more anxious. Such animals should be prioritized to be introduced in rooms that house calmer, less aggressive animals and provide opportunities for hiding to alleviate their anxiety. Indeed, positive social experiences not only promote animal welfare, but also reduce stress related confounds and unexplained data variability. Therefore, by incorporating the animals' temperament into the pair configuration process we increase the likelihood of forming high-quality pairs, both in terms of welfare and the research of which they are a part.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ori Pomerantz
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
| | - John P. Capitanio
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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10
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Non-random associations in group housed rats (Rattus norvegicus). Sci Rep 2021; 11:15349. [PMID: 34321512 PMCID: PMC8319288 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94608-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological factors, such as predation, have traditionally been used to explain sociability. However, it is increasingly recognised that individuals within a group do not associate randomly, and that these non-random associations can generate fitness advantages. The majority of the empirical evidence on differentiated associations in group-living mammals, however, comes from a limited number of taxa and we still know very little about their occurrence and characteristics in some highly social species, such as rats (Rattus spp.). Here, using network analysis, we quantified association patterns in four groups of male fancy rats. We found that the associations between rats were not randomly distributed and that most individuals had significantly more preferred/avoided associates than expected by random. We also found that these preferences can be stable over time, and that they were not influenced by individuals’ rank position in the dominance hierarchy. Our findings are consistent with work in other mammals, but contrast with the limited evidence available for other rat strains. While further studies in groups with different demographic composition are warranted to confirm our findings, the occurrence of differentiated associations in all male groups of rats have important implications for the management and welfare of captive rat populations.
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11
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Prosociality, social tolerance and partner choice facilitate mutually beneficial cooperation in common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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12
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De Moor D, Roos C, Ostner J, Schülke O. Bonds of bros and brothers: Kinship and social bonding in postdispersal male macaques. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:3346-3360. [PMID: 32688434 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Group-living animals often maintain a few very close affiliative relationships-social bonds-that can buffer them against many of the inevitable costs of gregariousness. Kinship plays a central role in the development of such social bonds. The bulk of research on kin biases in sociality has focused on philopatric females, who typically live in deeply kin-structured systems, with matrilineal dominance rank inheritance and life-long familiarity between kin. Closely related males, in contrast, are usually not close in rank or familiar, which offers the opportunity to test the importance of kinship per se in the formation of social bonds. So far, however, kin biases in male social bonding have only been tested in philopatric males, where familiarity remains a confounding factor. Here, we studied bonds between male Assamese macaques, a species in which males disperse from their natal groups and in which male bonds are known to affect fitness. Combining extensive behavioural data on 43 adult males over a 10-year period with DNA microsatellite relatedness analyses, we find that postdispersal males form stronger relationships with the few close kin available in the group than with the average nonkin. However, males form the majority of their bonds with nonkin and may choose nonkin over available close kin to bond with. Our results show that kinship facilitates bond formation, but is not a prerequisite for it, which suggests that strong bonds are not restricted to kin in male mammals and that animals cooperate for both direct and indirect fitness benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine De Moor
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Christian Roos
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
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13
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Abstract
In bonobos, strong bonds have been documented between unrelated females and between mothers and their adult sons, which can have important fitness benefits. Often age, sex or kinship similarity have been used to explain social bond strength variation. Recent studies in other species also stress the importance of personality, but this relationship remains to be investigated in bonobos. We used behavioral observations on 39 adult and adolescent bonobos housed in 5 European zoos to study the role of personality similarity in dyadic relationship quality. Dimension reduction analyses on individual and dyadic behavioral scores revealed multidimensional personality (Sociability, Openness, Boldness, Activity) and relationship quality components (value, compatibility). We show that, aside from relatedness and sex combination of the dyad, relationship quality is also associated with personality similarity of both partners. While similarity in Sociability resulted in higher relationship values, lower relationship compatibility was found between bonobos with similar Activity scores. The results of this study expand our understanding of the mechanisms underlying social bond formation in anthropoid apes. In addition, we suggest that future studies in closely related species like chimpanzees should implement identical methods for assessing bond strength to shed further light on the evolution of this phenomenon.
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15
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Ruch H, Zürcher Y, Burkart JM. The function and mechanism of vocal accommodation in humans and other primates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:996-1013. [PMID: 29111610 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The study of non-human animals, in particular primates, can provide essential insights into language evolution. A critical element of language is vocal production learning, i.e. learning how to produce calls. In contrast to other lineages such as songbirds, vocal production learning of completely new signals is strikingly rare in non-human primates. An increasing body of research, however, suggests that various species of non-human primates engage in vocal accommodation and adjust the structure of their calls in response to environmental noise or conspecific vocalizations. To date it is unclear what role vocal accommodation may have played in language evolution, in particular because it summarizes a variety of heterogeneous phenomena which are potentially achieved by different mechanisms. In contrast to non-human primates, accommodation research in humans has a long tradition in psychology and linguistics. Based on theoretical models from these research traditions, we provide a new framework which allows comparing instances of accommodation across species, and studying them according to their underlying mechanism and ultimate biological function. We found that at the mechanistic level, many cases of accommodation can be explained with an automatic perception-production link, but some instances arguably require higher levels of vocal control. Functionally, both human and non-human primates use social accommodation to signal social closeness or social distance to a partner or social group. Together, this indicates that not only some vocal control, but also the communicative function of vocal accommodation to signal social closeness and distance must have evolved prior to the emergence of language, rather than being the result of it. Vocal accommodation as found in other primates has thus endowed our ancestors with pre-adaptations that may have paved the way for language evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Ruch
- University Research Priority Program Language and Space, University of Zurich, 8032, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Yvonne Zürcher
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Judith M Burkart
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
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16
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Brando S, Buchanan-Smith HM. The 24/7 approach to promoting optimal welfare for captive wild animals. Behav Processes 2017; 156:83-95. [PMID: 29113925 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We have an ethical responsibility to provide captive animals with environments that allow them to experience good welfare. Husbandry activities are often scheduled for the convenience of care staff working within the constraints of the facility, rather than considering the biological and psychological requirements of the animals themselves. The animal welfare 24/7 across the lifespan concept provides a holistic framework to map features of the animal's life cycle, taking into account their natural history, in relation to variations in the captive environment, across day and night, weekdays, weekends, and seasons. In order for animals to have the opportunity to thrive, we argue the need to consider their lifetime experience, integrated into the environments we provide, and with their perspective in mind. Here, we propose a welfare assessment tool based upon 14 criteria, to allow care staff to determine if their animals' welfare needs are met. We conclude that animal habitat management will be enhanced with the use of integrated technologies that provide the animals with more opportunities to engineer their own environments, providing them with complexity, choice and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Brando
- World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland.
| | - Hannah M Buchanan-Smith
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, United Kingdom.
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17
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Doyle RE, Broster JC, Barnes K, Browne WJ. Temperament, age and weather predict social interaction in the sheep flock. Behav Processes 2016; 131:53-8. [PMID: 27542918 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the current study was to investigate the social relationships between individual sheep, and factors that influence this, through the novel application of the statistical multiple membership multiple classification (MMMC) model. In study one 49 ewes (ranging between 1 and 8 years old) were fitted with data loggers, which recorded when pairs of sheep were within 4m or less of each other, within a social group, for a total of 6days. In study two proximity data were collected from 45 ewes over 17days, as were measures of ewe temperament, weight and weather. In study 1 age difference significantly influenced daily contact time, with sheep of the same age spending an average of 20min 43s together per day, whereas pairs with the greatest difference in age spent 16min 33s together. Maximum daily temperature also significantly affected contact time, being longer on hotter days (34min 40s hottest day vs. 18min 17s coolest day), as did precipitation (29min 33s wettest day vs. 10min 32s no rain). Vocalisation in isolation, as a measure of temperament, also affected contacts, with sheep with the same frequency of vocalisations spending more time together (27min 16s) than those with the greatest difference in vocalisations (19min 36s). Sheep behaviour in the isolation box test (IBT) was also correlated over time, but vocalisations and movement were not correlated. Influences of age, temperature and rain on social contact are all well-established and so indicate that MMMC modelling is a useful way to analyse social structures of the flock. While it has been demonstrated that personality factors affect social relationships in non-human animals, the finding that vocalisation in isolation influences pair social contact in sheep is a novel one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E Doyle
- Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (NSW Department of Primary Industries and Charles Sturt University) Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia.
| | - John C Broster
- Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (NSW Department of Primary Industries and Charles Sturt University) Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
| | - Kirsty Barnes
- Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (NSW Department of Primary Industries and Charles Sturt University) Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
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Nawroth C, Prentice PM, McElligott AG. Individual personality differences in goats predict their performance in visual learning and non-associative cognitive tasks. Behav Processes 2016; 134:43-53. [PMID: 27514774 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Revised: 07/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Variation in common personality traits, such as boldness or exploration, is often associated with risk-reward trade-offs and behavioural flexibility. To date, only a few studies have examined the effects of consistent behavioural traits on both learning and cognition. We investigated whether certain personality traits ('exploration' and 'sociability') of individuals were related to cognitive performance, learning flexibility and learning style in a social ungulate species, the goat (Capra hircus). We also investigated whether a preference for feature cues rather than impaired learning abilities can explain performance variation in a visual discrimination task. We found that personality scores were consistent across time and context. Less explorative goats performed better in a non-associative cognitive task, in which subjects had to follow the trajectory of a hidden object (i.e. testing their ability for object permanence). We also found that less sociable subjects performed better compared to more sociable goats in a visual discrimination task. Good visual learning performance was associated with a preference for feature cues, indicating personality-dependent learning strategies in goats. Our results suggest that personality traits predict the outcome in visual discrimination and non-associative cognitive tasks in goats and that impaired performance in a visual discrimination tasks does not necessarily imply impaired learning capacities, but rather can be explained by a varying preference for feature cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Nawroth
- Queen Mary University of London, Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, London, UK.
| | - Pamela M Prentice
- University of Edinburgh, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alan G McElligott
- Queen Mary University of London, Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, London, UK.
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