Sex and physiological state influence the rate of resource acquisition and monopolisation in urban free-ranging dogs, Canis familiaris

Behaviour ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 150 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madhur Mangalam ◽  
Mewa Singh
Keyword(s):  
Associative Learning ◽  
Urban Population ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Physiological State ◽  
Canis Familiaris ◽  
Resource Acquisition ◽  
Extraction Techniques ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
New Information ◽  
Free Ranging

In animal populations, the constraints of energy and time can cause intraspecific variation in foraging behaviour. The proximate developmental mediators of such variation are often the mechanisms underlying perception and associative learning. Here, experience-dependent changes in foraging behaviour and their consequences were investigated in an urban population of free-ranging dogs, Canis familiaris by continually challenging them with the task of food extraction from specially crafted packets. Typically, males and pregnant/lactating (PL) females extracted food using the sophisticated ‘gap widening’ technique, whereas non-pregnant/non-lactating (NPNL) females, the relatively underdeveloped ‘rip opening’ technique. In contrast to most males and PL females (and a few NPNL females) that repeatedly used the gap widening technique and improved their performance in food extraction with experience, most NPNL females (and a few males and PL females) non-preferentially used the two extraction techniques and did not improve over successive trials. Furthermore, the ability of dogs to sophisticatedly extract food was positively related to their ability to improve their performance with experience. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that factors such as sex and physiological state can cause differences among individuals in the likelihood of learning new information and hence, in the rate of resource acquisition and monopolization.

scholarly journals Beacon in Information System as Way of Supporting Identification of Cattle Behavior

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1062
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Koszela ◽  
Wojciech Mueller ◽  
Jakub Otrząsek ◽  
Mateusz Łukomski ◽  
Sebastian Kujawa
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Physiological State ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Dairy Herd ◽  
Weather Forecast ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Use Of Data ◽  
New Information ◽  
Conducting Research

The paper concentrates on researching the possibilities of using modern information technologies in animal production in order to monitor and identify behavior and well-being of cows. Having in mind the challenges related to managing dairy herds, and economic pressure put on breeders (as well as the broadly defined well-being of animals), an endeavor was made to create a new method, which would be competitive in comparison with the existing solutions. The proposed method of collecting data and data processing with beacon devices as well as data warehouse, allows—according to the authors—a more complete identification of behaviors and physiological condition of a dairy herd. It is also worth pointing out that this method is competitive in terms of price. By virtue of the multitude of data that were collected, a decision was made to resign from processing data on a local computer and use a cloud compute engine instead. The presented information system creates a sequence of components, which were subject to verification both on the level of creating and conducting research. Research results that were received were then compared with knowledge presented in the literature. A vital element of validation of the aforementioned methodology was comparing results that were achieved in the course of research work with the system making use of pedometer. The aim of the authors was to develop a new information technology solution, as well as a method based on beacons, which are rather universal devices, with the use of data warehouses, allowing the identification of behavior and physiological state of milk cattle, the method which would be competitive in comparison with the existing solutions, especially in terms of price. In the proposed solution, both information coming from microcomputers and weather forecast data coming from weather forecast stations, which make the above identification easy, were used as data sources.

scholarly journals Spatial and temporal dynamics of space use by free‐ranging domestic dogs Canis familiaris in rural Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jared K. Wilson‐Aggarwal ◽  
Cecily E.D. Goodwin ◽  
Tchonfienet Moundai ◽  
Metinou K. Sidouin ◽  
George J.F. Swan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Canis Familiaris ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Domestic Dogs ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Rural Africa ◽  
Free Ranging

Survival analyses

2021 ◽  
pp. 229-244
Author(s):  
Sarah Cubaynes ◽  
Simon Galas ◽  
Myriam Richaud ◽  
Ana Sanz Aguilar ◽  
Roger Pradel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Survival Data ◽  
Complex Life Cycle ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Imperfect Detection ◽  
Survival Analyses ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
The Impact

Survival analyses are a key tool for demographers, ecologists, and evolutionary biologists. This chapter presents the most common methods and illustrates their use for species across the Tree of Life. It discusses the challenges associated with various types of survival data, how to model species with a complex life cycle, and includes the impact of environmental factors and individual heterogeneity. It covers the analysis of ‘known-fate’ data collected in lab conditions, using the Kaplan–Meier estimator and Cox’s proportional hazard regression analysis. Alternatively, survival data collected on free-ranging populations usually involve individuals missing at certain monitoring occasions and unknown time at death. The chapter provides an overview of capture–mark–recapture (CMR) models, from single-state to multi-state and multi-event models, and their use in animal and plant demography to estimate demographic parameters while correcting for imperfect detection of individuals. It discusses various inference frameworks available to implement CMR models using a frequentist or Bayesian approach. Only humans are an exception among free-ranging populations, with the existence of several consequent databases with perfect knowledge of age and cause of death for all individuals. The chapter presents an overview of the most common models used to describe mortality patterns over age and time using human mortality data. Throughout, focus is placed on eight case studies, which involve lab organisms, free-ranging animal populations, plant populations, and human populations. Each example includes data and codes, together with step-by-step guidance to run the survival analysis.

scholarly journals Neural Dynamics of Associative Learning during Human Sleep

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 1708-1715
Author(s):  
Andrés Canales-Johnson ◽  
Emiliano Merlo ◽  
Tristan A Bekinschtein ◽  
Anat Arzi
Keyword(s):  
Associative Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Theta Activity ◽  
Neural Dynamics ◽  
New Associations ◽  
Human Sleep ◽  
New Information ◽  
Early Acquisition ◽  
Dynamic Interplay

Abstract Recent evidence indicates that humans can learn entirely new information during sleep. To elucidate the neural dynamics underlying sleep-learning, we investigated brain activity during auditory–olfactory discriminatory associative learning in human sleep. We found that learning-related delta and sigma neural changes are involved in early acquisition stages, when new associations are being formed. In contrast, learning-related theta activity emerged in later stages of the learning process, after tone–odor associations were already established. These findings suggest that learning new associations during sleep is signaled by a dynamic interplay between slow-waves, sigma, and theta activity.

Comparative Dimensions of Testes, Epididymides and Spermatozoa of Australian Dingoes (Canis-Familiaris-Dingo) and Domestic Dogs (Canis-Familiaris-Familiaris) - Some Effects of Domestication

1993 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 133 ◽  
Author(s):  
PF Woodall ◽  
P Pavlov ◽  
LK Tolley
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Seminiferous Tubule ◽  
Canis Familiaris ◽  
Domestic Dogs ◽  
Testis Weight ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Cauda Epididymidis ◽  
Free Ranging

The dimensions of testes, epididymides and spermatozoa of Australian dingoes (Canis familiaris dingo) and a sample of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris familiaris), chosen to lie within the range of dingo body weights, were compared. There were no significant differences for body weight or testis weight but total epididymal weight, the caput + corpus weights and sperm numbers in the cauda epididymidis were significantly larger in dogs. Dimensions of the spermatozoa were similar for dogs and dingoes except for a small but significantly larger head length in dingoes. Seminiferous tubule diameters were significantly larger in dingoes and epididymal tubule diameters were similar in dogs and dingoes except for significantly wider tubules in the cauda of dogs. The estimated length of tubules in the total epididymis and in the cauda was significantly greater in dogs than in dingoes. Greater size of the epididymis and especially of the cauda epididymidis probably reflect selection for larger sperm stores in free-ranging domestic dogs where there is a greater chance of intermale sperm competition. Two possible hybrids (determined by skull morphometry) were intermediate between dogs and dingoes for some of these dimensions.

The Wayward Dog: Is the Australian native dog or Dingo a distinct species?

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4317 (2) ◽  
pp. 201 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEPHEN M. JACKSON ◽  
COLIN P. GROVES ◽  
PETER J.S. FLEMING ◽  
KEN P. APLIN ◽  
MARK D.B. ELDRIDGE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Canis Familiaris ◽  
Distinct Species ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Zoological Nomenclature ◽  
Morphological Evidence ◽  
Recent Proposal ◽  
Initial Description ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Scientific Name

The taxonomic identity and status of the Australian Dingo has been unsettled and controversial since its initial description in 1792. Since that time it has been referred to by various names including Canis dingo, Canis lupus dingo, Canis familiaris and Canis familiaris dingo. Of these names C. l. dingo and C. f. dingo have been most often used, but it has recently been proposed that the Australian Dingo should be once again recognized as a full species—Canis dingo. There is an urgent need to address the instability of the names referring to the Dingo because of the consequences for management and policy. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the morphological, genetic, ecological and biological data to determine the taxonomic relationships of the Dingo with the aim of confirming the correct scientific name. The recent proposal for Canis dingo as the most appropriate name is not sustainable under zoological nomenclature protocols nor based on the genetic and morphological evidence. Instead we proffer the name C. familiaris for all free-ranging dogs, regardless of breed and location throughout the world, including the Australian Dingo. The suggested nomenclature also provides a framework for managing free-ranging dogs including Dingoes, under Australian legislation and policy. The broad principles of nomenclature we discuss here apply to all free-roaming dogs that coexist with their hybrids, including the New Guinea Singing Dog. 

scholarly journals Possums in the park: efficient foraging under the risk of predation or of competition?

2000 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eve McDonald-Madden ◽  
Lian K. Akers ◽  
Deena J. Brenner ◽  
Sarah Howell ◽  
Blair W. Patullo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Population ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Foraging Efficiency ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Initial Amount ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Risk Of Predation

Many eutherian mammals adjust their foraging behaviour according to the presence or threat of predators. Here, we examine experimentally whether an urban population of brushtail possums, Trichosurus vulpecula, similarly adjust their foraging behaviour. Our field experiments manipulated the quantity of food items in artificial feeders placed at different distances from trees. These experiments showed that the possums remained longer at feeders placed far from the trees, but their foraging behaviour did not change with the initial amount of food. The scanning behaviour of possums did not simply increase with distance from the trees, as predicted from studies of other vertebrates. Nevertheless, the number of physical conflicts between individuals increased as the amount of available food decreased. These data suggest that the changes in the foraging behaviour of the possums in this population do not reflect a simple trade-off between foraging efficiency and the risk of predation or competition.

scholarly journals Population and Social Biology of Free-Ranging Dogs, Canis familiaris

1989 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 754-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. Daniels ◽  
M. Bekoff
Keyword(s):  
Canis Familiaris ◽  
Social Biology ◽  
Free Ranging

scholarly journals Experimentally increased noise levels change spatial and singing behaviour

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 20120771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsty Elizabeth McLaughlin ◽  
Hansjoerg P. Kunc
Keyword(s):  
Noise Source ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Erithacus Rubecula ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Suitable Habitats ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
The Impact ◽  
New Infrastructure

The reasons why animal populations decline in response to anthropogenic noise are still poorly understood. To understand how populations are affected by noise, we must understand how individuals are affected by noise. By modifying the acoustic environment experimentally, we studied the potential relationship between noise levels and both spatial and singing behaviour in the European robin ( Erithacus rubecula ). We found that with increasing noise levels, males were more likely to move away from the noise source and changed their singing behaviour. Our results provide the first experimental evidence in a free ranging species, that not merely the presence of noise causes changes in behaviour and distribution, but that the level of noise pollution plays a crucial role as well. Our results have important implications for estimating the impact of infrastructure which differs in the level of noise produced. Thus, governmental planning bodies should not only consider the physical effect on the landscape when assessing the impact of new infrastructure, but also the noise levels emitted, which may reduce the loss of suitable habitats available for animals.

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