What Harmful Practices? The Material Scope Of Animal Protection Legislation,
2017
University of Minho
What Harmful Practices? The Material Scope Of Animal Protection Legislation, Eze Paez
Animal Sentience
Jonathan Birch proposes a criterion for the subjective scope of animal protection legislation. He says nothing about its material scope: which harmful practices it should regulate. I argue, first, that most moral views would agree that the worst forms of animal exploitation should be legally forbidden, even if there will inevitably be disagreement about some cases of animal experimentation. I also argue that, when feasible, there should be legal provisions to help wild animals.
The Value Of Bayesian Statistics For Assessing Credible Evidence Of Animal Sentience,
2017
University of Sussex
The Value Of Bayesian Statistics For Assessing Credible Evidence Of Animal Sentience, Anil K. Seth, Zoltan Dienes
Animal Sentience
Determining what constitutes practically relevant, statistically significant evidence for animal sentience, under the precautionary principle, could be enhanced through Bayesian statistics. A Bayesian approach allows the incorporation of multiple evidence sources through prior probabilities, the tracking of changing evidence across time, and a principled means of adjusting evidentiary bars via Bayes factors.
Chicken Of The Sea,
2017
Independent Scientist and Author
Chicken Of The Sea, Jonathan Balcombe
Animal Sentience
Marino summarizes research showing that chickens perform cognitively and emotionally at a higher level than previously assumed. Here, I describe capacities of teleost fishes that parallel those of chickens, including the ability to recognize human faces, perspective-taking, and referential communication. Research on chickens and on fishes reveals an emerging trend in cognitive ethology: abilities once thought limited to a scant few highly intelligent non-humans may actually occur broadly across taxa.
Anecdotes Can Be Evidence Too,
2017
Australian National University
Anecdotes Can Be Evidence Too, Heather Browning
Animal Sentience
Birch’s criterion for the precautionary principle imposes a high evidential standard that many cases will fail to meet. Reliable, relevant anecdotal evidence suggestive of animal sentience should also to fall within the scope of the precautionary principle. This would minimize potential suffering (as happened in the case cephalopods) while further evidence is gathered.
Animal Pain And The Social Role Of Science,
2017
University of Colorado at Boulder
Animal Pain And The Social Role Of Science, Leslie Irvine
Animal Sentience
Assuming that all animals are sentient would mean ending their use in most scientific research. This does not necessarily imply an unscientific or anti-scientific stance. Examining the social role of science reveals its considerable investment in preserving the status quo, including the continued use of animal subjects. From this perspective, the use of animal subjects is a custom that science could move beyond, rather than a methodological requirement that it must defend.
Fishes Are Gaining Academic Respect,
2017
Independent Scientist and Author
Fishes Are Gaining Academic Respect, Jonathan Balcombe
Animal Sentience
I respond to five commentaries on my 2016 book What a Fish Knows. The commentaries express more harmony than dissent about my interpretation of fishes as cognitive, aware individuals deserving better treatment by humankind.
Choice-Induced Preference: A Challenge For Contrast,
2017
University of Rochester
Choice-Induced Preference: A Challenge For Contrast, Benjamin R. Eisenreich, Benjamin Y. Hayden
Animal Sentience
In his target article, Zentall asks: “to experience cognitive dissonance is it necessary for one to have conflicting beliefs or even beliefs at all?” He then argues that a simple behavioral process, the Within Trial Contrast Effect, may be sufficient to explain observed cognitive dissonance effects in nonhuman animals and possibly humans as well. We agree with Zentall that this effect is sufficient to explain many reported cognitive dissonance effects in nonhuman animals, but question its sufficiency for primate behavior (both monkeys and humans).
A Risk Assessment And Phylogenetic Approach,
2017
Macquarie University
A Risk Assessment And Phylogenetic Approach, Culum Brown
Animal Sentience
The precautionary principal is often invoked when talking about the evidence of sentience in animals, largely because we can never be certain what any animal is thinking or feeling. Birch (2017) offers a preliminary framework for the use of the precautionary principal for animal sentience combining an epistemic rule with a decision rule. I extend this framework by adding an evolutionary phylogentic approach which spreads the burden of proof across broad taxonomic groups and a risk assessment component which magnifies the likely impact by the number of animals involved.
The “Precautionary Principle” – A Work In Progress,
2017
Dalhousie University
The “Precautionary Principle” – A Work In Progress, Shelley Adamo
Animal Sentience
The target article by Birch illustrates the practical difficulties with the “Animal Sentience Precautionary Principle” (ASPP) while presenting potential solutions. However, the ASPP will be difficult to use without guidelines detailing how evidence of sentience should be assessed. Moreover, extrapolating conclusions found for a single species to all species within an Order is problematic. Finally, I recommend that Birch demonstrate his ASPP framework using a controversial test case to help show how it could be used in real-world situations.
What If All Animals Are Sentient?,
2017
Prof.
What If All Animals Are Sentient?, Arthur S. Reber
Animal Sentience
Birch develops a useful framework for determining when the Animal Sentience Precautionary Principle (ASPP) should be invoked. He rightly notes that there is a lack of agreement among social scientists, ethicists, and legislators even about whether the precautionary principle is useful, let alone when and how it should be implemented. His proposal is to establish a kind of cognitive threshold, and only when an animal shows a sufficient level of sentience would the ASPP be appropriate. From the point of view of the Cellular Basis of Consciousness model (Reber, 2016), all animals are sentient. If correct, the problems Birch identifies …
Cognitive Dissonance Or Contrast? It Could Be Both,
2017
University of Kentucky
Cognitive Dissonance Or Contrast? It Could Be Both, Thomas Zentall
Animal Sentience
My target article suggested that cognitive dissonance may be accounted for by a simpler mechanism: contrast. Whether contrast can explain all cognitive dissonance effects is an empirical question, but it is always useful to try to distinguish simpler mechanisms from more complex cognitive ones. The insistence that cognitive dissonance is a human-only process quite different from contrast may be a self-serving means of justifying the exploitation of animals.
Taxonomic Status Of A Newly Described Island Population Of The Smooth Newtlissotriton Vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758) From Bozcaada (Çanakkale, Turkey), Nurşen Çördük, Çi̇ğdem Gül, Murat Tosunoğlu, Konstantinos Sotiropoulos
Turkish Journal of Zoology
The taxonomic status and phylogenetic position of the recently recorded smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) population from the island of Bozcaada (Çanakkale, Turkey) is clarified on the basis of morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses. The L. vulgaris population from Bozcaada presents body proportions and morphological features of subsp. schmidtlerorum, such as small body length, absence of the tail filament, and dorsal crest with pointed free margin. Similarly, phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences (ND4, 16S rRNA) place the Bozcaada population within Clade E of the recent L. vulgaris phylogeny, which consists of L. v. schmidtlerorum populations.
Cooccurrence Of Schistosoma Haematobium, Other Trematode Parasites, An Annelid (Chaetogaster Limnaei Limnaei), And A Nematode Parasite (Daubaylia Potomaca) In Bulinus Globosus, Ogochukwu Okeke, Patience Ubachukwu
Turkish Journal of Zoology
Cooccurrence of Schistosoma haematobium, other trematodes, Chaetogaster limnaei limnaei, and Daubaylia potomaca was investigated in Bulinus globosus collected at Nike Lake from October 2011 to September 2012. The snail sizes as well as the numbers of these organisms were recorded. Single infections of S. haematobium, other trematodes, C. limnaei limnaei, and D. potomaca were 0.3%, 46.38%, 1.03%, and 2.66%. Coinfection of S. haematobium-C. limnaei limnaei was 0.3% while that of S. haematobium-other trematodes was 0.15%. Coinfections of C. limnaei limnaei-other trematodes and D. potomaca-other trematodes were 2.16% each. There was no cooccurrence of C. limnaei limnaei-D. potomaca or S. haematobium-D. …
A New Larval Record Of,
2017
TÜBİTAK
A New Larval Record Of, Nurcan Özkan, Seyhan Akiska
Turkish Journal of Zoology
Demicryptochironomus (Demicryptochironomus) vulneratus (Zetterstedt, 1838) was collected as a total of 4 individuals from the Garzan Brook, Batman Brook (Beşeri), and Tigris River (Hasankeyf) and recorded as a new chironomid larva species for the Turkish potamofauna. The species was identified morphologically under light microscope and photographed with a photomicroscope. In addition, the taxonomic features of the species were illustrated schematically with a scale.
Updated List Of The Subfamily Omaliinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)From Kazakhstan With Some New Records,
2017
TÜBİTAK
Updated List Of The Subfamily Omaliinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)From Kazakhstan With Some New Records, Peter Hlavac, Matus Kocian, Oto Nakladal
Turkish Journal of Zoology
A detailed, updated list of the subfamily Omaliinae known from Kazakhstan is provided.
First Record Of Water Bears (Tardigrada) From Sponges (Porifera),
2017
TÜBİTAK
First Record Of Water Bears (Tardigrada) From Sponges (Porifera), Joanna Talanda, Krzysztof Zawierucha
Turkish Journal of Zoology
Aquatic species of Tardigrada usually inhabit submerged plants or sediment but they are also known as associated with other animals, like barnacles (Crustacea: Cirripedia) or sea cucumbers (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea). In sponges collected from Lake Ohrid (Macedonia) we found individuals of two tardigrade taxa: Isohypsibius sp. and Dactylobiotus sp. This paper provides the first record of Tardigrada from Macedonia (Lake Ohrid) and is the first report of these animals on sponges.
First Records Of Spongillaflies (Neuroptera: Sisyridae) In Serbia And Bosniaand Herzegovina, With Notes On Their Occurrence In The Balkan Countries, Jan Podlesnik, Vesna Klokocovnik, Tina Klenovsek, Franc Janzekovic, Dusan Devetak
Turkish Journal of Zoology
Data on the occurrence of four spongillafly species in the Balkan countries are provided. Two species are recorded for the first time in two countries: Sisyra nigra (Retzius, 1783) in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sisyra terminalis Curtis, 1854 in Serbia.
Oocyte Development In Melanogryllus Desertus (Pallas, 1771) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae):Presence Of Balbiani Body,
2017
TÜBİTAK
Oocyte Development In Melanogryllus Desertus (Pallas, 1771) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae):Presence Of Balbiani Body, Özlem Çakici
Turkish Journal of Zoology
Oocyte development in the ovary of the black cricket, Melanogryllus desertus, was investigated. In the panoistic ovary of M. desertus, oocyte developmental stages based on their histological properties were classified as previtellogenic, vitellogenic, and maturation. Oocytes were encircled by follicle cells through the developmental stages. In the previtellogenic stage, a few vacuoles were observed just beneath the oolemma. At the beginning of the vitellogenic stage, subdivided into early-, middle-, and late-vitellogenic stages, yolk granules within the oocyte were initially observed just beneath the oolemma. In addition, small lipid droplets were initially present under the yolk granules. As vitellogenesis proceeded, both …
Postembryonic Development Of Nonmarine Ostracod Chlamydotheca Arcuata (Sars, 1901)(Crustacea: Ostracoda), Reared In The Laboratory, Analia Roxana Diaz, Estela Celia Lopretto
Turkish Journal of Zoology
We describe here 8 instars (from A-8 through A-1) of the postembryonic development of the Cyprididae Chlamydotheca arcuata (Sars, 1901) from hatching to sexually mature individuals. To study the development of this species, cultures of adult parthenogenetic female specimens were established and maintained in the laboratory. The ostracod specimens were collected from temporary ponds and streams in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. This report provides a description of the chaetotaxy of each limb along with detailed illustrations. Photographs of eggs and carapaces were taken using scanning electron microscopy. The complete development of Chlamydotheca arcuata lasted between 80 and 90 days. In …
Eustenomacidius Egeuniversitatis Sp.N. - The First Record Of Thetenebrionid Genus In Turkey (Insecta: Coleoptera),
2017
TÜBİTAK
Eustenomacidius Egeuniversitatis Sp.N. - The First Record Of Thetenebrionid Genus In Turkey (Insecta: Coleoptera), Beki̇r Keski̇n, Maxim V. Nabozhenko, Nurşen Keski̇n
Turkish Journal of Zoology
The new species Eustenomacidius (Caucasohelops) egeuniversitatis sp. n. is described from Southeastern Anatolia (Van Province). The species differs from two other representatives of the subgenus Caucasonotus Nabozhenko, 2006 by the absence of temple grooves (lower aspect of eye having a posterior ventral groove) and shiny body without microsculpture. It is the first record of the genus in Turkey. Data on bionomics and a key to species of the subgenus Caucasonotus are given. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (cox1) barcoding regions of type specimens were also sequenced and uploaded to GenBank.
