scholarly journals Further behavioural parameters support reciprocity and milk theft as explanations for giraffe allonursing

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Markéta Gloneková ◽  
Karolína Brandlová ◽  
Jan Pluháček
Keyword(s):  
Social Stress ◽  
Maternal Investment ◽  
Extreme Case ◽  
Milk Intake ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Bout Duration ◽  
Allomaternal Care ◽  
Social Behaviours

AbstractSuckling of a non-filial calf, or allosuckling, is an extreme case of allomaternal care in mammals. There have been many hypotheses postulated in an attempt to explain this behaviour; however, the supporting evidence differs, together with the conclusions drawn from the investigated variables. Previously, suckling bout rejection was analysed, and the milk theft and reciprocity hypotheses were both determined as the most appropriate explanation of allosuckling in giraffe. In this study, seven hypotheses were tested using different behavioural parameters, namely suckling bout frequency, suckling bout duration, and time spent suckling. It is well-documented that these parameters are associated with various aspects in ungulate biology; for example, suckling rejection typically reflects milk intake and parent–offspring conflict, whereas the suckling bout duration and frequency is associated with social behaviours (affiliation, bonding, social stress). In total, 22 nursing females and 47 suckling calves were observed, in four Czech zoos during a five-year period. The correlation of the observed parameters between the reciprocal female-calf dyads was found to be in line with the reciprocity hypothesis. In addition, non-filial calves tried to steal the milk from non-maternal females, supporting the milk theft hypothesis. Thus, the results support both the reciprocity and milk-theft hypotheses as the most plausible explanation of allosuckling in giraffe, and illustrates the importance of using suckling bout duration and frequency, and the time spent suckling, as behavioural parameters that may aid in explaining the extremity of maternal investment, such as allosuckling.

VOCALIZATIONS AROUND THE TIME OF MILK EJECTION IN DOMESTIC PIGLETS: A RELIABLE INDICATOR OF THEIR CONDITION?

Behaviour ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 138 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francien De Jonge ◽  
Marek Špinka ◽  
Gudrun Illmann
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Maternal Investment ◽  
Milk Intake ◽  
Reliable Indicator ◽  
Milk Ejection ◽  
Lower Weight ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Lower Weight Gain

AbstractIn some nursings, piglets initiate nose contacts with their mother and emit typical 'croaking' vocalizations. We examined whether the croaking vocalizations reflect the condition of the piglets and whether the sows increase their maternal investments in response to those vocalizations. The following predictions were tested: (i) Piglets with lower weight gain should vocalize more than piglets with higher weight gain; (ii) piglets' milk intake is lower in those nursings in which they vocalize after milk ejection; (iii) piglets make more croaking vocalization in nursings which were preceded by longer intervals since the last nursing with milk ejection; (iv) sows permit longer post-ejection massage in nursings in which piglets vocalized immediately after milk ejection; (v) sows decrease the interval until the succeeding nursing after those nursings in which the piglets have vocalized. Hypotheses (i) and (ii) were investigated by controlling the inter-nursing intervals in 14 sows and recording the milk intake of individual piglets' over 24 hours during days 7 or 8 post partum (Experiment 1). Hypotheses (iii) to (v) were examined through analysing video recordings of undisturbed six h nursing sequences in 29 sows (Experiments 2 and 3). The majority of our predictions were not confirmed: piglets did not vocalize more (either before or after milk ejection) after longer intervals since last milk ejection; they did not vocalize more in nursing in which they received less milk; and it was not the piglets or the litter with a lower milk intake or lower weightgain that emitted more vocalization. Neither of our predictions regarding the influence of croaking vocalizations on maternal investment was confirmed. The vocalizations were in no way associated with the length of the following inter-nursing interval or with the permission of longer udder massage. To conclude, piglet croaking vocalizations during nursings are not reliable indicators of piglet condition and are not used by sows to adjust their maternal investment.

scholarly journals Influence of nutrition and lactation on ovulation and conception in red deer

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 65-68
Author(s):  
G.W. Asher ◽  
J.C. Pollard
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Maternal Investment ◽  
Energetic Cost ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Mating Period ◽  
Species Survival ◽  
Condition Score

Reproduction incurs a high energetic cost and failure to meet nutritional needs results in reproductive failure. In red deer hinds, the interaction between nutrition, summer lactation and subsequent ovulation/conception is of particular interest for farmed deer production in NZ due to climatic constraints to summer pasture production in many areas. However, few studies have focussed on the potential perturbing effects of poor nutrition on lactational outputs and potential flow-on effects on ovulation/conception. As lacta tion in red deer naturally persists well beyond the autumn mating period, lactational anoestrus (through hormonal feedback mechanisms) is not a normal feature of the species reproduction. However, lactation is of high nutritional cost to the hind and can potentially exert considerable influence on the incidence and timing of conception via changes in hind liveweight, lipid depots and general body condition. Supporting evidence for this hypothesis is derived from studies of wild red deer within habitats marginal to species survival (e.g. Isle of Rhum, Scotland), where climatic variables greatly influence annual reproductive success of hinds. Under such conditions, even the differences in maternal investment (via lactation) required to raise male and female calves have been demonstrated to influence the subsequent success and timing of conceptions. Studies of farmed red deer in Scotland also demonstrated that hinds on different levels of pasture nutrition during lactation exhibited significant differences in conception date, with earlier conceptions favouring hinds on higher levels of nutrition. There is a growing body of evidence from monitoring of farmed red deer in New Zealand that the interaction between lactation and hind body condition score (BCS)/ liveweight influences subsequent conception rate and date. Recent studies on pre-rut versus post-rut calf weaning practices demonstrated effects of lactation on hind BCS and liveweight, calf growth rates and hind conception dates. These studies highlight the need to better understand the "costs" of lactation on reproductive performance, particularly under conditions of nutritional constraints. Keywords: lactation, nutrition, red deer, reproduction

Text Comprehension: Graphic Organizers to the Rescue

2009 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 82-89
Author(s):  
Janet L. Proly ◽  
Jessica Rivers ◽  
Jamie Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Text Comprehension ◽  
Graphic Organizers ◽  
Expository Text ◽  
Supporting Evidence

Abstract Graphic organizers are a research based strategy used for facilitating the reading comprehension of expository text. This strategy will be defined and the evolution and supporting evidence for the use of graphic organizers will be discussed. Various types of graphic organizers and resources for SLPs and other educators will also be discussed.

Messung der Stimmfrequenz im Paargespräch – Chancen für Diagnostik und Intervention in der Paartherapie

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 217-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisanne J. Bulling ◽  
Isabella C. Bertschi ◽  
Céline C. Stadelmann ◽  
Tina Niederer ◽  
Guy Bodenmann
Keyword(s):  
Social Stress ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Trier Social Stress Test

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt die bisherigen empirischen Befunde zur Sprachgrundfrequenz (f0) in Paargesprächen vor und untersucht, wie sich die f0 nach einer experimentellen Stressinduktion im anschließenden spontanen Gespräch zwischen den Partner_innen verändert, wie die f0 mit der verbalen Stressäußerung zusammenhängt und wie sie zwischen den beiden Partner_innen kovariiert. Von 128 heterosexuellen Paaren nahm jeweils eine Person pro Paar am Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) teil. Die dem TSST vorangehende und anschließende naturalistische Interaktion zwischen den Partner_innen wurde gefilmt und nach Gesprächsthema und Art der Stressäußerung kodiert. Wie vorherige Studien zur f0 im Paargespräch zeigte auch die vorliegende Studie, dass die f0 wichtige Informationen über die Partnerschaft enthält. Während eine Erhöhung der f0 in Gesprächen über einen paarinternen Stressor (d.h. bei Konfliktgesprächen) mit negativen Kommunikationsmustern einherging, zeigte die vorliegende Studie, dass die f0 bei Gesprächen über einen paarexternen Stressor (d.h. beim TSST) mit emotionsorientierten Stressäußerungen einherging, also einer für den Stressbewältigungsprozess förderlichen Art der Kommunikation. Die Oszillatorenmodelle zeigen darüber hinaus, dass eine Kopplung der f0 zwischen den Partner_innen besteht, was darauf hindeutet, dass die nicht gestressten Partner_innen auf die paraverbalen Stressäußerungen der gestressten Partner_innen mit ihren eigenen paraverbalen Stressäußerungen reagieren.

The Effects of Visual Displays in Attenuating Discrepancies Between Self-Reported and Physiological Indexes of Stress

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Jenny J. W. Liu ◽  
Julia Gervasio ◽  
Kenneth Fung ◽  
Kristin Vickers
Keyword(s):  
Social Stress ◽  
Visual Display ◽  
Physiological Measures ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Subjective Evaluations ◽  
Stress Task ◽  
Physiological Indexes ◽  
Physiological Outcomes ◽  
Physiological Markers ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. This study examined whether the relationship between subjective and physiological outcomes of stress, and the responsivity to stressors, are affected by whether participants can see a visual display of their physiological output. Participants were randomly assigned to have a visible view of their physiological output readings, or to a condition in which physiological output readings were out of view. Participants individually completed a 30-min laboratory study including the modified Trier Social Stress Task. Both physiological markers of stress (heart rate and blood pressure) and subjective evaluations of stress (visual analog scale) were measured. Results found little congruency across subjective and physiological measures of stress. The visible visual display condition had elevated physiological arousal, while no group differences were observed in self-reported stress. Findings from the study provide insight into the use of visual physiological displays and hold practical implications for both the measurement of stress in research, and the development of wearable technologies without accompanying response strategies.

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