Is Sentience Only A Nonessential Component Of Animal Welfare?,
2016
[email protected]
Is Sentience Only A Nonessential Component Of Animal Welfare?, Ian J.H. Duncan
Animal Sentience
According to Broom (2014), animal welfare is a concept that can be applied to all animals, including single-celled organisms that are obviously not sentient. Such a stance makes it difficult to draw a connection between welfare and sentience, and that is the book’s downfall. Some excellent points are made about sentience and there are very good discussions on animal welfare. However, unless sentience is considered the essential component of welfare, any attempt to link the two phenomena will be unsuccessful — and that, indeed, is the case with this book.
Sentience And Animal Welfare: New Thoughts And Controversies,
2016
University of Cambridge
Sentience And Animal Welfare: New Thoughts And Controversies, Donald M. Broom
Animal Sentience
Sentience involves having some degree of awareness but awareness of self is not as complex as some people believe. Fully functioning vertebrate animals, and some invertebrates, are sentient but neither humans nor non-humans are sentient early in development or if brain-damaged. Feelings are valuable adaptive mechanisms and an important part of welfare but are not all of welfare so the term welfare refers to all animals, not just to sentient animals. We have much to learn about what non-human animals want from us, the functioning of the more complex aspects of their brains and of our brains and how we …
Pain And Fish Welfare,
2016
Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP (São Paulo, Brazil)
Pain And Fish Welfare, Eliane Gonçalves-De-Freitas
Animal Sentience
The evolutionary approach of Key’s (2016) target article, generically comparing humans with fish of all kinds, is simplistic. The author ignores published research on structural and molecular aspects of pain in fish. The target article reads more like a selective polemic against fish welfare than an even-handed analysis.
Brain Processes For “Good” And “Bad” Feelings: How Far Back In Evolution?,
2016
University of Washington
Brain Processes For “Good” And “Bad” Feelings: How Far Back In Evolution?, Jaak Panksepp
Animal Sentience
The question of whether fish can experience pain or any other feelings can only be resolved by neurobiologically targeted experiments. This commentary summarizes why this is essential for resolving scientific debates about consciousness in other animals, and offers specific experiments that need to be done: (i) those that evaluate the rewarding and punishing effects of specific brain regions and systems (for instance, with deep-brain stimulation); (ii) those that evaluate the capacity of animals to regulate their affective states; and (iii) those that have direct implications for human affective feelings, with specific predictions — for instance, the development of new treatments …
Intertemporal Similarity: Discounting As A Last
Resort,
2016
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Intertemporal Similarity: Discounting As A Last Resort, Jeffrey R. Stevens
Jeffrey Stevens Publications
Standard models of intertemporal choice assume that individuals discount future payoffs by integrating reward amounts and time delays to generate a discounted value. Alternative models propose that, rather than integrate across them, individuals compare within attributes (amounts and delays) to determine if differences in one attribute outweigh differences in another attribute. For instance, Leland (2002) and Rubinstein (2003) propose models that 1) compare the two reward amounts to determine whether they are similar, 2) compare the similarity of the two time delays, and then 3) make a decision based on these similarity judgments. Here, I tested discounting models against attribute-based …
Reflections Of The Social Environment In Chimpanzee Memory: Applying Rational Analysis Beyond Humans,
2016
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Reflections Of The Social Environment In Chimpanzee Memory: Applying Rational Analysis Beyond Humans, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Julian N. Marewski, Lael J. Schooler, Ian C. Gilby
Jeffrey Stevens Publications
In cognitive science, the rational analysis framework allows modelling of how physical and social environments impose information-processing demands onto cognitive systems. In humans, for example, past social contact among individuals predicts their future contact with linear and power functions. These features of the human environment constrain the optimal way to remember information and probably shape how memory records are retained and retrieved. We offer a primer on how biologists can apply rational analysis to study animal behaviour. Using chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) as a case study, we modelled 19 years of observational data on their social contact patterns. Much …
Cognitive Phenotypes And The Evolution Of Animal Decisions,
2016
University of Maryland - Baltimore County
Cognitive Phenotypes And The Evolution Of Animal Decisions, Tamra C. Mendelson, Courtney L. Fitzpatrick, Mark E. Hauber, Charles H. Pence, Rafael L. Rodriguez, Rebecca J. Safran, Caitlin A. Stern, Jeffrey R. Stevens
Jeffrey Stevens Publications
Despite the clear fitness consequences of animal decisions, the science of animal decision making in evolutionary biology is underdeveloped compared with decision science in human psychology. Specifically, the field lacks a conceptual framework that defines and describes the relevant components of a decision, leading to imprecise language and concepts. The ‘judgment and decision-making’ (JDM) framework in human psychology is a powerful tool for framing and understanding human decisions, and we apply it here to components of animal decisions, which we refer to as ‘cognitive phenotypes’. We distinguish multiple cognitive phenotypes in the context of a JDM framework and highlight empirical …
Biogeographical Patterns In The Hard-Tick Genus Amblyomma Koch 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae),
2016
Georgia Southern University
Biogeographical Patterns In The Hard-Tick Genus Amblyomma Koch 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), Matthew H. Seabolt
College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations
Amblyomma Koch is a genus of hard-ticks with approximately 130 species. Its geographical range is typical for organisms with a Gondwanan origin. A majority of these species are endemic to the Neo- and Afrotropical regions, with the remaining taxa dispersed throughout Southeast Asia, Australia and the Pacific islands. Based on this distribution, we hypothesize that the genus dispersal patterns will mirror the fragmentation and continental drift of the Gondwanan supercontinent. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference and node-dating analyses of nuclear 18S rDNA gene sequences reveal a more recent origin and radiation patterns within the genus and suggest that Amblyomma …
Genome Wide Epigenetic Analyses Of Araptus Attenuatus, A Bark Beetle,
2016
Virginia Commonwealth University
Genome Wide Epigenetic Analyses Of Araptus Attenuatus, A Bark Beetle, Chitra Seshadri
Theses and Dissertations
Phylogeographic studies have relied on surveying neutral genetic variation in natural populations as a way of gaining better insights into the evolutionary processes shaping present day population demography. Recent emphasis on understanding putative adaptive variation have brought to light the role of epigenetic variation in influencing phenotypes and the mechanisms underlying local adaptation. While much is known about how methylation acts at specific loci to influence known phenotypes, there is little information on the spatial genetic structure of genome-wide patterns of methylation and the extent to which it can extend our understanding of both neutral and putatively adaptive processes. This …
Vestigial Serrula In Scorpion Genera Paravaejovis, , Smeringurus And Vejovoidus (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae),
2015
Marshall University
Vestigial Serrula In Scorpion Genera Paravaejovis, , Smeringurus And Vejovoidus (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Victor Fet, Michael E. Soleglad, Michael S. Brewer, David P. A. Neff, Michael L. Norton
Euscorpius
The presence of vestigial serrula on the ventral edge of the cheliceral movable finger is established for vaejovid genera Paravaejovis, Paruroctonus, Smeringurus, and Vejovoidus. Detailed descriptions and SEM images illustrating the various manifestations of this interesting cheliceral structure are provided for many species of these four genera. A brief systematic overview of this structure as it exists in Recent scorpions is also presented.
Serrula In Retrospect: A Historical Look At Scorpion Literature (Scorpiones: Orthosterni),
2015
Marshall University
Serrula In Retrospect: A Historical Look At Scorpion Literature (Scorpiones: Orthosterni), Matthew R. Graham, Victor Fet
Euscorpius
Serrula, a small comb-like structure on the ventral aspect of cheliceral movable finger in scorpions, has often been overlooked or ignored. Scorpion genera that are currently known to possess serrula belong to six families: Chactidae, Euscorpiidae, Iuridae, Pseudochactidae, Superstitioniidae, and Vaejovidae. All relevant literature on scorpion serrula is reviewed, and serrula of representative scorpion taxa is illustrated by SEM images. We suggest that the inconsistency in reporting serrula is based on several factors (or combination thereof): (a) serrula tines can quite often be broken off partially or completely, especially in adults; (b) serrula can be vestigial and hardly visible under …
On The Poorly Known Genus Mesotityus González-Sponga, 1981 (Scorpiones: Buthidae),
2015
Marshall University
On The Poorly Known Genus Mesotityus González-Sponga, 1981 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Luis F. De Armas, Fernando J. M. Rojas-Runjaic
Euscorpius
Examination of new available material (18 females and six males) of the rare Venezuelan scorpion Mesotityus vondangeli González-Sponga, 1981 (Buthidae) demonstrated that there are consistent taxonomic characters to consider it as a genus different from Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 sensu stricto. Nevertheless, it shares important characters with species of the Tityus clathratus group (=subgenus Archaeotityus Lourenço, 2006). An emended diagnosis of Mesotityus is given, as well as data on natural history, meristic and morphometric variation.
Taxonomic Position Of The Genus Sassanidotus Farzanpay, 1987 (Scorpiones: Buthidae),
2015
Marshall University
Taxonomic Position Of The Genus Sassanidotus Farzanpay, 1987 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík, Victor Fet
Euscorpius
Sassanidotus Farzanpay, 1987 is a valid genus closely related to Compsobuthus Vachon, 1949, with which it shares most characters including the shape of carinae on the carapace and mesosoma. The main difference is that Sassanidotus has only three granules located proximally to the terminal granule on the movable finger of pedipalp, whereas Compsobuthus and also Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950 have four such granules. Sassanidotus Farzanpay, 1987 includes two species, Sassanidotus zarudnyi (Birula, 1900) (type species) from Iran and Sassanidotus gracilis thus zarudnyi sarghadensis Birula, 1903, syn. n.) from Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. The neotype is designated for S. zarudnyi.
Redescription And Lectotype Designation Of Vaejovis Lapidicola Stahnke, 1940 (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae),
2015
Marshall University
Redescription And Lectotype Designation Of Vaejovis Lapidicola Stahnke, 1940 (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Matthew R. Graham
Euscorpius
The original description of the Arizona scorpion species Vaejovis lapidicola Stahnke, 1940 consists of a single paragraph. Furthermore, a holotype for this species was never designated. To remedy this, two syntypes of V. lapidicola were obtained for study. A male syntype is redescribed and designated the lectotype, and a female is assigned as a paralectotype. The taxonomic status of V. lapidicola is also confirmed.
Laterobasal Aculear Serrations (Las) In Scorpion Family Vaejovidae (Scorpiones: Chactoidea),
2015
Marshall University
Laterobasal Aculear Serrations (Las) In Scorpion Family Vaejovidae (Scorpiones: Chactoidea), Victor Fet, Michael E. Soleglad, Michael S. Brewer
Euscorpius
The discovery of a new structure on the laterobasal aspect of the telson aculeus is described here for the first time. This structure, termed the laterobasal aculear serrations (LAS), is a row of minute denticles located on each side of the aculeus base, found exclusively in scorpion family Vaejovidae, thus potentially providing a new synapomorphy for this New World family. The LAS structure of major representative vaejovid genera and Vaejovis groups is illustrated with SEM micrographs. Also provided is a comprehensive list of non-vaejovid Recent scorpion genera examined where the LAS structure was found to be absent.
The Effect Of Insularity On The Seasonal Population Structure Of Mesobuthus Gibbosus (Scorpiones: Buthidae),
2015
University of Crete
The Effect Of Insularity On The Seasonal Population Structure Of Mesobuthus Gibbosus (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Dimitris Kaltsas, Iasmi Stathi, Moysis Mylonas
Euscorpius
We compared the population structure of Mesobuthus gibbosus from autumn to mid-summer at two similar phryganic ecosystems, one in continental Greece (Thessalia, near Volos city) and one in insular Greece (eastern Crete). Data were collected monthly using the capture-recapture method. At both sites, density was low during the cold period and increased towards summer. During the samplings, only a small percentage of each population was present. Population density and co-occurrence of scorpions with scorpions or other animals was higher in Crete than in Volos, probably due to the higher inter- and intraspecific competition in Volos. The population structure of the …
Duplication Of Pedipalp Segments In The Scorpion Androctonus Crassicauda (Olivier, 1807),
2015
Niğde University
Duplication Of Pedipalp Segments In The Scorpion Androctonus Crassicauda (Olivier, 1807), Ayşegül Karataş, Mustafa Kürtüllü
Euscorpius
An unusual duplication of pedipalp segments is reported from the buthid scorpion Androctonus crassicauda. While the right pedipalp is normal, the anomaly described here occurred on the left pedipalp. This abnormally developed pedipalp included nine segments instead of normal six. It has two trochanters, two femurs and two patellae; the segments are arranged in the following order: coxa, trochanter I, femur I, patella I, trochanter II, femur II, patella II, chela hand, and movable finger. Morphometric measurements, photographs, and general features of the specimen are given.
Constellation Array In Scorpion Genera Paruroctonus, Smeringurus, Vejovoidus, And Paravaejovis (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae),
2015
Marshall University
Constellation Array In Scorpion Genera Paruroctonus, Smeringurus, Vejovoidus, And Paravaejovis (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Victor Fet, Michael E. Soleglad, Michael Brewer, David P. A. Neff, Michael L. Norton
Euscorpius
The constellation array (a recently discovered sensory structure on the fixed finger of pedipalp; Fet et al., 2006) is analyzed for a large set of species belonging to four genera in the family Vaejovidae: Paruroctonus, Smeringurus, Vejovoidus, and Paravaejovis. It is shown that this structure is an important taxonomic character. Two distinct configurations are identified, a two-sensilla array for Paruroctonus + Smeringurus + Vejovoidus and a three-sensilla array for genus Paravejovis, both differing from other vaejovid configurations so far investigated. The topology of these two array configurations are analyzed using landmark setae identified in this study.
Contributions To Scorpion Systematics. Ii. Stahnkeini, A New Tribe In Scorpion Family Vaejovidae (Scorpiones: Chactoidea),
2015
Marshall University
Contributions To Scorpion Systematics. Ii. Stahnkeini, A New Tribe In Scorpion Family Vaejovidae (Scorpiones: Chactoidea), Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet
Euscorpius
The diagnostic characters originally established by Herbert L. Stahnke (1940a, 1940b, 1974) in his description of genus Serradigitus are studied in detail from several new perspectives. A new genus, Stahnkeus, gen. nov., is described based on the presence of inner accessory (IAD) denticles on the chelal fingers, unprecedented in family Vaejovidae. Five species of Serradigitus are transferred to Stahnkeus: Stahnkeus harbisoni (Williams, 1970), comb. nov. (=Serradigitus harbisoni); Stahnkeus deserticola (Williams, 1970), comb. nov. (=Serradigitus deserticola); Stahnkeus subtilimanus (Soleglad, 1972), comb. nov. (=Serradigitus subtilimanus); Stahnkeus allredi (Sissom et Stockwell, 1991), …
Eight New Species Of The Genera Scorpiops Peters, Euscorpiops Vachon, And Chaerilus Simon (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae, Chaerilidae) From Tibet And Yunnan, China,
2015
Hebei University
Eight New Species Of The Genera Scorpiops Peters, Euscorpiops Vachon, And Chaerilus Simon (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae, Chaerilidae) From Tibet And Yunnan, China, Jian-Xin Qi, Ming-Sheng Zhu, Wilson R. Lourenço
Euscorpius
Eight new species belonging to the genera Scorpiops and Euscorpiops (Euscorpiidae: Scorpiopinae) and Chaerilus (Chaerilidae) are described from China. These are: Scorpiops atomatus sp. n., Scorpiops langxian sp. n., Scorpiops luridus sp. n., Scorpiops pococki sp. n., Euscorpiops vachoni sp. n., Euscorpiops shidian sp. n., Euscorpiops karschi sp. n., and Chaerilus tessellatus sp. n. New records are also reported for these three genera, and the taxa are redescribed. Descriptions and redescriptions are based mainly on the material collected in Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province. Checklists and identification keys for Chinese species of …
