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2015

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Articles 661 - 690 of 1130

Full-Text Articles in Animal Sciences

Investigation On The Inquilines (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Synergini) Of Oak Galls From Inner Western Anatolia, Turkey, Yusuf Katilmiş, Musa Azmaz Jan 2015

Investigation On The Inquilines (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Synergini) Of Oak Galls From Inner Western Anatolia, Turkey, Yusuf Katilmiş, Musa Azmaz

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In this study carried out on specimens collected in inner western Anatolia, 13 species belonging to Synergus were recorded. Eight species were recorded for the first time from Turkey. Due to the associated oak galls, the highest number (6 species) were observed inside the galls of Aphelonyx persica. Data about host oaks, emergence time of adults, and associated oak galls are given.

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The Genus Orthezia Bosc (Hemiptera: Ortheziidae) In Turkey, With 2 New Records, Mehmet Bora Kaydan, Zsuzsanna Konczne Benedicty, Eva Szita Jan 2015

The Genus Orthezia Bosc (Hemiptera: Ortheziidae) In Turkey, With 2 New Records, Mehmet Bora Kaydan, Zsuzsanna Konczne Benedicty, Eva Szita

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study aimed to identify the ground ensign scale insects in 5 provinces (Ağrı, Bitlis, Hakkari, Iğdır, and Van) in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. In order to achieve this goal, Ortheziidae species were collected from natural and cultivated plants in the 5 provinces listed above between 2005 and 2008. A total of 3 species were found, among them 2 species (Orthezia maroccana Kozár & Konczné Benedicty and Orthezia yashushii Kuwana) that are new records for the Turkish scale insect fauna.

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Population Level Responses To Direct Application Liming In Gyrinophilus Porphyriticus, Shelby Renea Timm Jan 2015

Population Level Responses To Direct Application Liming In Gyrinophilus Porphyriticus, Shelby Renea Timm

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Direct application liming (DAL) has been used to neutralize acidified streams to restore aquatic biota. This mitigation technique has been used globally for decades, yet little data exist on its effects on amphibian populations. My study investigated the effects of liming on amphibians by measuring variability in life histories of larval Gyrinophilus porphyriticus. I collected larvae from six streams in the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia. I examined the effects of DAL on age structure, and I failed to detect a treatment effect. I used ANCOVAs to examine differences in body condition, body size, and gape size. I observed that …

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Sampling Considerations For Amphibian Surveys: Evaluating Risks Of Committing Type I And Type Ii Errors, Kelli Marie Herrick Jan 2015

Sampling Considerations For Amphibian Surveys: Evaluating Risks Of Committing Type I And Type Ii Errors, Kelli Marie Herrick

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Global amphibian declines pose a major threat to the world’s biodiversity. We examined the observation bias associated with volunteer based anuran surveys, such as the North American Amphibian Monitoring Protocol (NAAMP). We followed NAAMP protocol to examine if variation in the persons (1-3) in an observer unit affected observer error. We hypothesized that observation units with multiple observers have less observer bias and would better report anuran assemblages compared to single observers. Larger observer units had fewer incidences of false positive observations. Additionally, we attempted to determine which sampling method for the eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis) had the highest …

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Functional Studies Of Ptchd3 During Spermatogensis, Shaimar R. González Morales Jan 2015

Functional Studies Of Ptchd3 During Spermatogensis, Shaimar R. González Morales

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Paracrine factor Desert hedgehog (Dhh) is essential for mouse spermatogenesis. However, the specific receptor of Dhh during spermatogenesis is unknown. This study aims to test the hypothesis that Ptchd3, a male germ cell-specific gene acts as a receptor for Dhh in spermatogenesis. In this study, a transgenic mouse model with Ptchd3 gene deletion was first successfully established. Then, in vivo fertility assay and in vitro analysis were performed on Ptchd3 null mutant male mice. The data obtained from the in vivo fertility experiments indicates that there is no statistical significance in offspring litter number (p-value 0.7973) and litter size (p-value …

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Development Of Culturing Methods For Native Mayfly Taxa For Use In Laboratory Toxicity Testing, Kevin Nicholas Rowsey Jan 2015

Development Of Culturing Methods For Native Mayfly Taxa For Use In Laboratory Toxicity Testing, Kevin Nicholas Rowsey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Salinity is increasing in freshwaters throughout the world due to anthropogenic impacts with the implication of the increases to biological communities only now being realized. Declining mayfly populations in Appalachian streams have generated increased interest in elevated dissolved solids in that region and their effect on benthic macroinvertebrates, particularly the sensitive Ephemeroptera taxa. Field and laboratory evaluations have indicated high sensitivity of mayflies to elevated dissolved solids. The research described herein is part of an ongoing effort to provide opportunity for toxicity testing with native mayflies in the laboratory. A successful endeavor would establish mayfly sensitivity to total dissolved solids …

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Effects Of Roads And Trails On Peaks Of Otter Salamander (Plethodon Hubrichti) And Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon Cinereus) Movement Behavior, Cory Benjamin Goff Jan 2015

Effects Of Roads And Trails On Peaks Of Otter Salamander (Plethodon Hubrichti) And Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon Cinereus) Movement Behavior, Cory Benjamin Goff

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Habitat fragmentation negatively affects movement and dispersal of wildlife by altering useable space and creating barriers. The objective of this study was to assess impacts of fragmentation by roads and trails on the movement behavior of two terrestrial, woodland salamander species. I evaluated whether proximity to roads and trails affected the movement behavior of two species: the Peaks of Otter Salamander (Plethodon hubrichti), a species of special concern, and the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus). I examined movement behavior in three treatments: paved roads, gravel roads and hiking trails. I compared treatments to controls located at least 200m from treatment …

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Monitoring The Land Cover Change In The Historic Range Of Cambarus Veteranus In West Virginia Using A 1973-2013 Landsat Time Series, Emma Martha Arneson Jan 2015

Monitoring The Land Cover Change In The Historic Range Of Cambarus Veteranus In West Virginia Using A 1973-2013 Landsat Time Series, Emma Martha Arneson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The crayfish Cambarus veteranus is near extinction in its historic range of the Upper Guyandotte River watershed. The biggest threats to C. veteranus are mining and road construction. Mining has been a continuous activity in the southern coalfields where the crayfish has historically been found, yet little is known about how much land cover change the practice has done to the region. Crayfish act as important organisms within aquatic ecosystems and without them, those systems are often degraded. Quantifying the change in land cover is important to understanding threats to C. veteranus for future protection of the crayfish and its …

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Brood Provisioning And Nest Survival Of Ardea Herodias (Great Blue Heron) In Maine, Margaret M. Meserve Auclair, Kathryn A. Ono, Noah G. Perlut Jan 2015

Brood Provisioning And Nest Survival Of Ardea Herodias (Great Blue Heron) In Maine, Margaret M. Meserve Auclair, Kathryn A. Ono, Noah G. Perlut

Marine Sciences Student Publications

From 1983–2009, the number of coastal breeding pairs of Ardea herodias (Great Blue Heron [GBHE]) in Maine declined by 64%, and the number of occupied islands on which these birds bred declined by 40%. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife listed the GBHE as a species of special concern in 2007, and expanded its annual monitoring to include inland colonies in 2009. To assess regional demographic differences, we compared the relationship between brood provisioning and nest survival of GBHEs in 1 coastal and 1 inland colony. In terms of brood-provisioning within the 2 colonies, the inland colony had …

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Father Convict Cichlids Bite Intruders More Often In Hot Temperatures, Jesse L. Heckendorf Jan 2015

Father Convict Cichlids Bite Intruders More Often In Hot Temperatures, Jesse L. Heckendorf

STAR Program Research Presentations

Convict cichlids (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus) have evolved to be extremely good parents by protecting their brood. Parental care leads to aggressive biting, chasing, and gill flaring to intimidate predators. In this experiment, we show that environmental factors, such as the changing of temperature in this case, affect a male convict cichlid’s aggression toward caring for his offspring when an intruder is introduced. Male convict cichlids attack more in warmer water.

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Orientation Of Hippodamia Variegata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) To Healthy And Beauveria Bassiana-Infected Aphis Fabae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) In An Olfactometer System, Marjan Seiedy, Samira Heydari, Mahdi Tork Jan 2015

Orientation Of Hippodamia Variegata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) To Healthy And Beauveria Bassiana-Infected Aphis Fabae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) In An Olfactometer System, Marjan Seiedy, Samira Heydari, Mahdi Tork

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Determination of attractive and avoidance behavior of Hippodamia variegata (Goeze) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is very important in the concomitant use of Beauveria bassiana for control of Aphis fabae (Hemiptera: Aphididae). We investigated the olfactory response of the predatory insect H. variegata when receiving odors pertaining to Aphis fabae infected by B. bassiana EUT116 at 0-, 24-, 48-, and 72-h intervals in a Y-tube olfactometer set-up. Behavioral assays were conducted to assess the ability of adult H. variegata to avoid A. fabae infected with B. bassiana conidia on plants. In these experiments, H. variegata exhibited significant attraction towards the control when the …

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Using Body Condition Index Can Be An Unreliable Indicator Of Fitness: A Case Of Sand Lizard Lacerta Agilis Linnaeus, 1758 (Sauria: Lacertidae), Krzysztof Dudek, Zofia Sajkowska, Monika Gawalek, Anna Ekner-Grzyb Jan 2015

Using Body Condition Index Can Be An Unreliable Indicator Of Fitness: A Case Of Sand Lizard Lacerta Agilis Linnaeus, 1758 (Sauria: Lacertidae), Krzysztof Dudek, Zofia Sajkowska, Monika Gawalek, Anna Ekner-Grzyb

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In ecological and morphological studies, researchers often use body condition index as a measure of an individual's fitness. Our research shows that body condition index may be an unreliable method for this purpose, because changes in lizards' body proportions are not stable during their lifetime. Results obtained from a Polish population of the sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) show that the body length increases faster than the body mass, meaning that the correlation between these 2 parameters is not linear. Herpetologists frequently use the body condition index to compare the fitness of lizards of different ages. Our study demonstrates that this …

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White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Fawn Risk From Gray Wolf (Canis Lupus) Predation During Summer, L. David Mech, Aaron Morris, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer Jan 2015

White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Fawn Risk From Gray Wolf (Canis Lupus) Predation During Summer, L. David Mech, Aaron Morris, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Little is known about how often various prey animals are at risk of predation by Gray Wolves (Canis lupus). We used a system to monitor the presence during the day of two radio-collared Gray Wolves within 2 km of a radio-collared White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with a fawn or fawns in August 2013 in the Superior National Forest of northeastern Minnesota. We concluded that the fawn or fawns were at risk of predation by at least one wolf at least daily.

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Importance Of Estrus Expression Before Fixed-Time Aion Conception Rates In Beef Cattle, B.N. Richardson, S.L. Hill, J.S. Stevenson, G.D. Dijira, G.A. Perry Jan 2015

Importance Of Estrus Expression Before Fixed-Time Aion Conception Rates In Beef Cattle, B.N. Richardson, S.L. Hill, J.S. Stevenson, G.D. Dijira, G.A. Perry

South Dakota Beef Report, 2015

Expression of estrus prior to fixed-time AI has been reported to strongly impact overall pregnancy success. Behavioral estrus is a visual indicator that a cow or heifer’s internal environment is prepared for breeding. Insemination of a cow or heifer after estrus has been expressed will yield greater pregnancy success due to adequate uterine environment, increased fertilization rates, increased accessory sperm numbers, and increased overall embryo survival. It can be difficult to analyze the effects of estrus on pregnancy success across studies due to differences in number of animals and proportion of animals exhibiting estrus per study. In order to accurately …

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2015 South Dakota Beef Report, Department Of Animal Sciences, South Dakota State University, Agricultural Experiment Station, South Dakota State University, Cooperative Extension Service, South Dakota State University Jan 2015

2015 South Dakota Beef Report, Department Of Animal Sciences, South Dakota State University, Agricultural Experiment Station, South Dakota State University, Cooperative Extension Service, South Dakota State University

South Dakota Beef Report, 2015

This is the 2015 South Dakota Beef Report produced by the SDSU Department of Animal Sciences in conjunction with the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the SDSU Cooperative Extension. The articles published in this report summarize many of the beef cattle research activities conducted at South Dakota State University during 2015. The articles in this report have many levels of application. Some information has immediate application for your farm, ranch, or agribusiness. The articles include information on nutrition,management, health, growth and development, and economics of the cattle and beef industry in South Dakota.

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The First Record Of Age Structure And Body Size Of The Suphan Racerunner, Eremias Suphani Başoğlu & Hellmich, 1968, Nazan Üzüm, Azi̇z Avci, Yusuf Kumlutaş, Nuretti̇n Beşer, Çeti̇n Ilgaz Jan 2015

The First Record Of Age Structure And Body Size Of The Suphan Racerunner, Eremias Suphani Başoğlu & Hellmich, 1968, Nazan Üzüm, Azi̇z Avci, Yusuf Kumlutaş, Nuretti̇n Beşer, Çeti̇n Ilgaz

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The age structure of Eremias suphani was studied from a high-altitude (2180 m a.s.l.) locality in eastern Turkey. A total of 24 preserved (16♂♂, 7♀♀, and 1 juvenile) specimens were used in this study. According to the skeletochronological analysis, ages ranged from 6 to 9 years (mean: 7.38 ± 0.22 years) in males and from 6 to 10 years (mean: 7.86 ± 0.51 years) in females. Age at maturity was estimated to be 5-6 years for both males and females. The mean snout-vent length was calculated as 60.88 ± 2.61 mm in males and 58.85 ± 2.44 in females. The …

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A Tide Prediction And Tide Height Control System For Laboratory Mesocosms, Luke Miller, Jeremy Long Jan 2015

A Tide Prediction And Tide Height Control System For Laboratory Mesocosms, Luke Miller, Jeremy Long

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Experimental mesocosm studies of rocky shore and estuarine intertidal systems may benefit from the application of natural tide cycles to better replicate variation in immersion time, water depth, and attendant fluctuations in abiotic and edaphic conditions. Here we describe a stand-alone microcontroller tide prediction open-source software program, coupled with a mechanical tidal elevation control system, which allows continuous adjustment of aquarium water depths in synchrony with local tide cycles. We used this system to monitor the growth of Spartina foliosa marsh cordgrass and scale insect herbivores at three simulated shore elevations in laboratory mesocosms. Plant growth decreased with increasing shore …

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Uterine Environment And Pregnancy Rate Of Heiferswith High Blood Urea Concentrations, O.L. Amundson, E.L. Larimore, A.K. Mcneel, C.C. Chase, R.A. Cushman, H.C. Freetly, G.A. Perry Jan 2015

Uterine Environment And Pregnancy Rate Of Heiferswith High Blood Urea Concentrations, O.L. Amundson, E.L. Larimore, A.K. Mcneel, C.C. Chase, R.A. Cushman, H.C. Freetly, G.A. Perry

South Dakota Beef Report, 2015

Reports demonstrate that excess dietary protein significantly alters the ionic composition of uterine fluid during the luteal phase ultimately decreasing fertility. Since the early bovine embryo cannot adapt to changes in the uterine environment, changes in the concentrations of ions (pH) in the uterus can be unfavorable to embryo development and survival therefore having negative effects on fertility. In this study, heifers fed a high protein diet had elevated systemic concentrations of plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) compared to heifers fed a control diet. However, there was no deleterious effect on uterine pH or reproductive success. In summary, excess protein in …

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Effects Of Zilpaterol Hydrochloride Supplementation On Growth Performance,Carcass Characteristics And Production Economics Of Steersdiffering In Breed Composition, J.O. Fulton, K.C. Olson, J.J. Kincheloe, A.A. Harty, M.K. Luebbe, K.R. Underwood, S.M. Scamlin, A.D. Blair Jan 2015

Effects Of Zilpaterol Hydrochloride Supplementation On Growth Performance,Carcass Characteristics And Production Economics Of Steersdiffering In Breed Composition, J.O. Fulton, K.C. Olson, J.J. Kincheloe, A.A. Harty, M.K. Luebbe, K.R. Underwood, S.M. Scamlin, A.D. Blair

South Dakota Beef Report, 2015

The β–adrenergic agonist zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) affects skeletal muscle growth, but little is known if this response is influenced by differences in genetic background of cattle. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of ZH on growth, carcass characteristics and production economic responses of Angus-sired (ANG) and SimAngus-sired (SIMANG) steers. Pens within each block × breed composition were randomly assigned to either ZH (8.3 ppm of DM; fed for the final 20 d before slaughter) or control (CON; 0 ppm ZH). Steers were ultrasounded before ZH inclusion and following withdrawal to determine the influence of ZH on …

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Time Of Suckling Implant Influences Onweaning Weight, Post-Weaning Performance, And Carcass Traits In Steer Calves, R.H. Pritchard, A.R. Taylor, S.M. Holt, K.W. Bruns, H.M. Blalock Jan 2015

Time Of Suckling Implant Influences Onweaning Weight, Post-Weaning Performance, And Carcass Traits In Steer Calves, R.H. Pritchard, A.R. Taylor, S.M. Holt, K.W. Bruns, H.M. Blalock

South Dakota Beef Report, 2015

The effect of time of suckling calf implant (SCI) use on weaning weight (WW), post-weaning performance and subsequent carcass traits was compared in steer calves produced on one ranch in western SD. Calves were born in March and April of each year and were reared on native range prior to weaning. The SCI strategies used included: non implanted controls (NI) or implanted with Synovex C either in May (MAY), or August (AUG). Age groups of dams (≥4 years) were managed separately through the breeding seasons. At weaning (late October) all calves were weaned and relocated to the SDSU Ruminant Nutrition …

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The Effect Of Silver Nanoparticles On Synaptic Responses In The Lateral Giant Escape Circuit Of The Crayfish, Samantha N. Adkins Jan 2015

The Effect Of Silver Nanoparticles On Synaptic Responses In The Lateral Giant Escape Circuit Of The Crayfish, Samantha N. Adkins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The lateral giant neuron in the crayfish is a neuron that controls the reflexive escape response; the context and experience-dependent tuning of this response is critical for survival. Serotonin modulates synaptic responses in this neuron, and social experiences (stress) changes the modulatory role of serotonin. I investigated the mechanisms of induced synaptic response changes and serotonergic modulatory changes after silver nanoparticle exposure to ask if 1) contaminant induced stress changes serotonergic modulation in a manner consistent with social stress and 2) shed light on potential neurotoxic effects of widely used, but poorly understood nanomaterials. Our data show that stress induced …

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Ua94/6/14 Student / Alumni Personal Papers Wku Herbert Cary, Wku Archives Jan 2015

Ua94/6/14 Student / Alumni Personal Papers Wku Herbert Cary, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by Herbert Cary regarding the history of the Agriculture Department. These research materials resulted in the publication of Cary's book, Road to Excellence: Agriculture at Western Kentucky University, 1998.

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Avs Corner, January 2015, Allison Millican, Casey Wheeler, Emily Cook, Jennifer Lantzer, Karen Taylor, Megan Kelley, Tina Rowland, Johanna Johnson Jan 2015

Avs Corner, January 2015, Allison Millican, Casey Wheeler, Emily Cook, Jennifer Lantzer, Karen Taylor, Megan Kelley, Tina Rowland, Johanna Johnson

AVS Corner

No abstract provided.

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Emotions In Goats: Mapping Physiological, Behavioural And Vocal Profiles, Elodie F. Briefer, Federico Tettamanti, Alan G. Mcelligott Jan 2015

Emotions In Goats: Mapping Physiological, Behavioural And Vocal Profiles, Elodie F. Briefer, Federico Tettamanti, Alan G. Mcelligott

Sentience Collection

Emotions are important because they enable the selection of appropriate behavioural decisions in response to external or internal events. Techniques for understanding and assessing animal emotions, and particularly positive ones, are lacking. Emotions can be characterized by two dimensions: their arousal (bodily excitation) and their valence (negative or positive). Both dimensions can affect emotions in different ways. It is thus crucial to assess their effects on biological parameters simultaneously, so that accurate indicators of arousal and valence can be identified. To find convenient and noninvasive tools to assess emotions in goats, Capra hircus, we measured physiological, behavioural and vocal responses …

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Thinking Pigs: A Comparative Review Of Cognition, Emotion, And Personality In Sus Domesticus, Lori Marino, Christina M. Colvin Jan 2015

Thinking Pigs: A Comparative Review Of Cognition, Emotion, And Personality In Sus Domesticus, Lori Marino, Christina M. Colvin

Sentience Collection

While relatively little is known about the psychology of domestic pigs, what is known suggests that pigs are cognitively complex and share many traits with animals whom we consider intelligent. This paper reviews the scientific evidence for cognitive complexity in domestic pigs and, when appropriate, compares this literature with similar findings in other animals, focusing on some of the more compelling and cutting-edge research results. The goals of this paper are to: 1) frame pig cognition and psychology in a basic comparative context independent of the livestock production and management setting; and 2) identify areas of research with pigs that …

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Pain In Aquatic Animals, Lynne U. Sneddon Jan 2015

Pain In Aquatic Animals, Lynne U. Sneddon

Sentience Collection

Recent developments in the study of pain in animals have demonstrated the potential for pain perception in a variety of wholly aquatic species such as molluscs, crustaceans and fish. This allows us to gain insight into how the ecological pressures and differential life history of living in a watery medium can yield novel data that inform the comparative physiology and evolution of pain. Nociception is the simple detection of potentially painful stimuli usually accompanied by a reflex withdrawal response, and nociceptors have been found in aquatic invertebrates such as the sea slug Aplysia. It would seem adaptive to have a …

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Cue Choice And Spatial Learning Ability Are Affected By Habitat Complexity In Intertidal Gobies, Gemma E. White, Culum Brown Jan 2015

Cue Choice And Spatial Learning Ability Are Affected By Habitat Complexity In Intertidal Gobies, Gemma E. White, Culum Brown

Sentience Collection

Variation in the structural complexity of a habitat is known to have significant affects on the evolution of different populations and can shape behavior, morphology, and life-history traits. Here, we investigated whether habitat complexity influences a species’ capacity for spatial learning and cue choice by comparing the performance of 4 goby species from 2 contrasting habitats in a spatial task. Gobies were collected from dynamic, homogenous sandy shores and stable, spatially complex rock pool habitats. We trained fish to use a T-maze to find a hidden reward and asked whether they used local visual landmarks or body-centered methods for orientation …

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Fish Intelligence, Sentience And Ethics, Culum Brown Jan 2015

Fish Intelligence, Sentience And Ethics, Culum Brown

Sentience Collection

Fish are one of the most highly utilised vertebrate taxa by humans; they are harvested from wild stocks as part of global fishing industries, grown under intensive aquaculture conditions, are the most common pet and are widely used for scientific research. But fish are seldom afforded the same level of compassion or welfare as warm-blooded vertebrates. Part of the problem is the large gap between people’s perception of fish intelligence and the scientific reality. This is an important issue because public perception guides government policy. The perception of an animal’s intelligence often drives our decision whether or not to include …

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Intrasexual Selection Drives Sensitivity To Pitch, Formants And Duration In The Competitive Calls Of Fallow Bucks, Benjamin J. Pitcher, Elodie Briefer, Alan G. Mcelligott Jan 2015

Intrasexual Selection Drives Sensitivity To Pitch, Formants And Duration In The Competitive Calls Of Fallow Bucks, Benjamin J. Pitcher, Elodie Briefer, Alan G. Mcelligott

Ethology Collection

Background: Mammal vocal parameters such as fundamental frequency (or pitch; fo) and formant dispersion often provide information about quality traits of the producer (e.g. dominance and body size), suggesting that they are sexually selected. However, little experimental evidence exists demonstrating the importance of these cues in intrasexual competition, particularly fo. Male Fallow deer (bucks) produce an extremely low pitched groan. Bucks have a descended larynx and generate fo well below what is expected for animals of their size. Groan parameters are linked to caller dominance, body size and condition, suggesting that groans are the product of sexual selection. Using a …

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Segregation Of Information About Emotional Arousal And Valence In Horse Whinnies, Elodie F. Briefer, Anne-Laure Maigrot, Roi Mandel, Sabrina Briefer Freymond, Iris Bachmann, Edna Hillmann Jan 2015

Segregation Of Information About Emotional Arousal And Valence In Horse Whinnies, Elodie F. Briefer, Anne-Laure Maigrot, Roi Mandel, Sabrina Briefer Freymond, Iris Bachmann, Edna Hillmann

Sentience Collection

Studying vocal correlates of emotions is important to provide a better understanding of the evolution of emotion expression through cross-species comparisons. Emotions are composed of two main dimensions: emotional arousal (calm versus excited) and valence (negative versus positive). These two dimensions could be encoded in different vocal parameters (segregation of information) or in the same parameters, inducing a trade-off between cues indicating emotional arousal and valence. We investigated these two hypotheses in horses. We placed horses in five situations eliciting several arousal levels and positive as well as negative valence. Physiological and behavioral measures collected during the tests suggested the …

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