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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Sunning behavior in animals'

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Published: 4 June 2021
Last updated: 7 February 2022

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1

Garner, Joseph P. "The aetiology of stereotypy in caged animals." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.670219.

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2

Culligan, Casey A. "Helping Animals, Helping Ourselves: Reciprocal Benefits of Prosocial Behaviors Directed Toward Animals." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1572007635785939.

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3

Yang, Eun-jin. "Social experience, hormones and aggressive behavior in the green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis)." Access restricted to users with UT Austin EID, 2002. http://www.lib.umi.com/cr/utexas/fullcit?p3108539.

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4

SHETTEL-NEUBER, MARY JOYCE. "ZOO EXHIBIT DESIGN: A POST-OCCUPANCY EVALUATION AND COMPARISON OF ANIMAL ENCLOSURES." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/188163.

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The present study, in contrast with previous work that has isolated one or two important factors influencing the status of the zoo, considered the three important zoo reference groups--animals, visitors, and staff members--and their interrelationships within the zoo environment. Two approaches were used to investigate the system of interactions within the zoo. First, an in-depth examination of a new set of naturalistic exhibits was performed. Second, a comparison of two of these naturalistic exhibits with two older, sterile exhibits which housed the same species at the same zoo was made. Multiple methods were used in the present study and included behavior mapping of visitors, staff, and animals, timing of visitor stays at exhibits, tracking of visitors through the exhibits, a visitor questionnaire, and interviews with staff members. One major finding was the lack of correspondence among the major groups as to the acceptability of exhibits. For example, one exhibit which was considered beneficial to the enclosed animals and was well utilized and positively evaluated by visitors presented staff members with great difficulties in animal containment and exhibit maintenance. Comparisons of naturalistic enclosures and sterile cement enclosures housing the same species revealed no consistent, clear-cut differences in animal and visitor behavior, however, attitudinal differences were found for staff members and visitors. Visitors and staff members preferred the naturalistic exhibits and perceived them as more beneficial to animals and visitors. These findings were discussed in terms of theoretical and applied issues relevant to zoo design and management and to research in zoos.
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5

Bashaw, Meredith J. "Social behavior and communication in a herd of captive giraffe." Diss., Available online, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004:, 2003. http://etd.gatech.edu/theses/available/etd-04082004-180020/unrestricted/bashaw%5Fmeredith%5Fj%5F200312%5Fphd.pdf.

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6

Rodgers, Edmund W. "Sexual plasticity in a marine goby (Lythrypnus dalli) social, endocrine, and genetic influences on functional sex /." unrestricted, 2007. http://etd.gsu.edu/theses/available/etd-12022007-220715/.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2007.
Title from file title page. Mattew S Grober, committee chair; Kim Wallen, Charles Derby, Laura Carruth, Tim Bartness, committee members. Electronic text (107 p. : ill. (some col.)) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed Jan. 31, 2008. Includes bibliographical references. (p. 94-107)
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7

Shelton, Delia S. "Environmental features influence complex behavior in small groups of animals." Thesis, Indiana University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10161866.

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Simple environmental features can shape complex behavior. Identifying key aspects of the environment (e.g., temperature, structure, toxins) that lead to widespread consequences is of central importance in a changing world. The primary objective of my dissertation is to investigate how relatively simple aspects of the environment can influence small groups of animals in profound and complex ways. In the first three chapters, I report on experiments showing how small changes in the environment can affect the expression of behavior at different points in development and can have important physiological consequences for litters of mouse pups. I then report on two sets of experiments showing how subtle changes in the environment can dramatically affect spacing patterns and social dynamics of small groups of adult zebrafish. Together, my results emphasize the ways that subtle changes in the environment can have profound impacts on individuals and small groups. In both lines of work, I have found that a more accurate characterization of the phenomena, infant rodent development and zebrafish social behavior, requires the use of individual and group measures and that temperature, density, and pollutants can have a powerful effect on group responses. These results are important because they show that the physical environment can have profound effects on the phenotype, and that with a changing physical environment or anthropogenic change, dramatic differences may be observed in the behavior of groups.

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8

Govindarajulu, Purnima T. "Constraints on kinship in predicting social behaviour in vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus)." Thesis, McGill University, 1993. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=55498.

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Two approaches were taken to investigating constraints on kinship in predicting social behaviour in the vervet monkey Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus in Barbados. in Chapter 1, behavioural interactions between an adult female and an unrelated adopted infant were compared with those between mothers and their natural offspring. The adoptive mother consistently scored higher than mothers with their own offspring in pre-weaning contact-maintaining behaviours, but the difference was not statistically significant. Post-weaning aggression and support interactions between mothers and infants also suggest no difference in parental behaviour and parental costs between adoptive and natural mothers. During post-weaning, the adopted infant was more aggressive to other troop members, and provided more maternal support in aggressive disputes, than another high ranking infant of the same year.
In Chapter 2, effects of kinship on the distribution of aggression and support in feral vervet monkeys were investigated by comparing aggression and support between full sibs and maternal half sibs (within matrilines), and between paternal-half sibs and unrelated juveniles (between matrilines). The strong tendency to behave affiliatively to matrilineal members in Old World monkeys, and maternal control of offspring rank within matrilines, may constrain the ability of offspring to enhance inclusive fitness by behaving differentially to either paternal or maternal sibs based on their degree of relatedness.
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9

Mills, Alexander Matthew Carleton University Dissertation Biology. "The influence of moonlight on the behavior of goatsuckers (Caprimulgidae)." Ottawa, 1985.

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10

Sharpe, Lynda L. "Play and social relationships in the meerkat (Suricata suricatta)." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50419.

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Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2005.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Despite more than three decades of research, and the postulation of more than 30 hypotheses of function, the adaptive significance of play remains unknown. This study quantitatively evaluated a selection of hypotheses of function, using data collected from a wild population of small, social carnivore, the meerkat, Suricata suricatta. The study found that although play in meerkats carried an energetic cost, with individuals modulating their frequency of play in response to their energy intake, none of the hypotheses evaluated by the study could identify the adaptive benefits that meerkats derived from play. Play did not increase 'social harmony' by reducing aggression between playmates, nor did it strengthen an individual's bonds to its social group, such that it remained in the group for longer, or contributed more to the group's cooperative activities. There was no evidence that meerkats used play to strengthen alliances between individuals, and young meerkats played no more frequently with their future dispersal partners than with matched controls with which they did not disperse. Play fighting experience did not improve a meerkat's subsequent fighting skills, and individuals that ultimately won the dominant breeding position within a group (through serious fighting) played no more frequently, and no more successfully, as youngsters, than the littermates that they defeated in combat. Although play was inhibited by aggression, meerkats did not use play to contest, assert or establish dominance status, and there was little evidence to suggest that the preference young meerkats showed for play partners that were well matched in age, size and ability arose from their use of play for self-assessment. This study assessed only those hypotheses of function that predicted benefits that were of importance to the inclusive fitness of the study species. For example, the enhancement of social harmony and group cohesion should be invaluable to a species whose survival is dependent upon social cooperation; and the high reproductive skew exhibited by this species places huge value upon fighting skill and the ability to win social dominance. As a consequence, this study's negative findings suggest strongly that play is not capable of providing these benefits, and that play behaviour is unlikely to be used for these purposes in any mammal species. I conclude that the most likely function of play (based on play's ubiquitous characteristics, and the findings of neurological research on rats) is the promotion of growth of the cerebral cortex.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ten spyte van meer as drie dekades van navorsing en die voorstelling van meer as 30 hipoteses oor funksie, bly die aanpassingswaarde van spelonbekend. Hierdie studie is 'n kwantitatiewe evaluasie van verskeie hipoteses oor funksie, en gebruik data versamel vanuit 'n wilde bevolking van 'n klein sosiale karnivoor, die meerkat, Suricata suricatta. Die studie het bevind dat hoewel spel in meerkaaie 'n energetiese koste beloop, met individue wat hul spelfrekwensie aanpas by energie-inname, geen-een van die hipoteses onder beskouing die aanpassingswaarde van spel vir meerkaaie kon verduidelik nie. Spel het nie "sosiale harmonie" bevorder deur die afuame in aggressie tussen speelmaats nie, en het ook nie 'n individu se verbintenis tot sy sosiale groep versterk sodat hy langer in die groep sou bly of meer sou bydra tot samewerkingsaktiwiteite nie. Daar was geen bewyse vir die gebruik van spel in die versterking van bondgenootskappe tussen individue nie, en jong meerkaaie het nie meer gereeld met toekomstige verspreidings-venote gespeel as met gepaarde kontroles saam met wie hulle nie uiteengegaan het nie. Speelse gevegte het nie 'n meerkat se daaropvolgende gevegsvermoëns verbeter nie, en die individue wat uiteindelik die dominante voortplantingsposisie in 'n groep gewen het (deur ernstige stryd) het nie meer gereeld ofmeer suksesvol as jongelinge gespeel in vergelyking met die werpselmaats wat hulle in die stryd oorwin het nie. Hoewel spel deur aggressie onderdruk is, het meerkaaie spel nie gebruik om dominante range te beveg, bevestig of tot stand te bring nie. Daar was min bewyse ter ondersteuning van die voorstel dat jong meerkaaie se voorkeur vir speelmaats wat hul gelyke is in ouderdom, grootte en vermoë, onstaan het in die gebruik van spel vir selfondersoek. Hierdie studie het slegs die hipoteses van funksie beskou wat voorspellings gemaak het oor die voordele wat belangrik is in die inklusiewe fiksheid van die studie-species. Byvoorbeeld, die verbetering van sosiale harmonie en groepsamehang behoort van onskatbare waarde te wees vir 'n species wat afhanklik is van sosiale samewerking vir oorlewing; en die hoë graad van voorkeuraanwas duidelik in hierdie species plaas groot waarde op gevegsvaardighede en die vermoë om sosiale dominansie te wen. Gevolglik dui hierdie ondersoek se negatiewe bevindinge daarop dat spel nie hierdie voordele kan bied nie, en dat speelgedrag heel waarskynlik nie vir hierdie doeleindes in enige soogdier-species gebruik word nie. Ek kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat die heel waarskynlikste funksie van spel (gebaseer op spel se alomteenwoordige kenmerke en die bevindinge van neurologiese navorsing op rotte) die bevordering van groei in die serebrale korteks is.
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11

Lozano, George A. "Parental care and female mate choice in yellow warblers (Dendroica petechia)." Thesis, McGill University, 1996. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=40389.

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In this thesis my initial goal was to use yellow warblers to examine the effect of paternal care on female mate choice. I first examined whether mate choice based on paternal care could be considered adaptive. Paternal care was variable among males and important to female fitness, but, contrary to a previous report, male chest striping could not be used to predict paternal care. Females did not compensate for reductions of male parental care, which resulted in significantly reduced nestling growth. In chapter two I tested the idea that monogamy in birds is maintained because of the need for biparental care. I reduced the need of strict biparental care by providing pairs at some nests with supplemental food, and found that the main effect of supplemental food was on maternal, not paternal behaviour. The first two chapters suggest that males and females provide for their brood independently from each other, which is in disagreement with current models on the maintenance of biparental care. These models assume that any given factor must affect maternal and paternal care equally for biparental care to be maintained. In Chapter three I showed that the effects of brood size and nestling age on parental care are similar for both sexes. In Chapter four I deal with age-related changes in reproductive success and the possible effects on female mate choice. Age affected the likelihood of breeding in females, but only the time of breeding in males. These changes were accompanied by age-related increases in size in both sexes. These results raise the possibility of age-related increases in parental ability, and female preference for older males.
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12

Prescott, Mark John. "Social learning in mixed-species troops of Saguinus fuscicollis and Saguinus labiatus : tests of foraging benefit hypotheses in captivity." Thesis, University of Stirling, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/12554.

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The selective costs and benefits affecting the evolution of group living have long interested behavioural ecologists because knowledge of these selective forces can enhance our understanding not only of why organisms live in groups, but also why species exhibit particular patterns of social organisation. Tamarins form stable and permanent mixed-species troops providing an excellent model for examining the costs and benefits hypothesised for group living. However, testing hypotheses in the wild is difficult, not least because participating species are rarely found out of association. In contrast, in captivity it is possible to compare matched single- and mixed-species troops and also to study the same individuals in single and mixed-species troops to see what effect the presence of a congener has on behaviour. In this way, captive work can help us confirm, reject, or refine the hypotheses, and aids in the generation of new ones, for relating back to the wild. The utility of this approach is demonstrated in this thesis which explored some of the foraging benefit hypotheses and, in particular, the underlying notion that individuals in tamarind mixed-species troops can increase their foraging efficiency through social earning. Single and mixed-species troops of Saguinus fuscicollis and S. labiatus were studied at Belfast Zoological Gardens. It was found that social interaction with conspecifics and congeners facilitated learning by individuals of various types of food-related information (food palatability, location, and method of access). However, although social learning operated in mixed-species troops, it did so under the shadow of inter-specific dominance. The results were used, in conjunction with field observations in Bolivia, to make inferences about the adaptive function of social learning in the wild. These findings strengthen the hypotheses which suggest that increased opportunity for social learning, through an increase in troop size and as a result of species divergence in behaviour, is an adaptive advantage of mixed-species troop formation in tamarins.
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13

Durães, Renata. "Spatial and temporal dynamics of lekking behavior and female choice in the blue-crowned manakin (Lepidothrix coronata, AVES: Pipridae)." Diss., St. Louis, Mo. : University of Missouri--St. Louis, 2008. http://etd.umsl.edu/r3001.

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14

Johnson, Dawn Lee. "Sound production in longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) : acoustic behavior and geographic variation /." Access restricted to users with UT Austin EID Full text (PDF) from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International, 2001. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/fullcit?p3037507.

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15

Kardos, Monique. "A study in behaviour conservation : applying ecological learning theory to the maintenance of species-typical behaviour in small carnivores in a zoo environment /." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 1999. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phk179.pdf.

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16

MCDONALD, DAVID BARTELLE. "MALE-MALE COOPERATION IN A NEOTROPICAL LEKKING BIRD (COSTA RICA)." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/184173.

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Long-tailed Manakins Chiroxiphia linearis are frugivorous birds with a lek mating system and male-male cooperation in courtship display. I studied male-male networks and correlates of male mating success in a color-banded population in Monteverde, Costa Rica, from 1981 to 1986. Males were organized in teams at scattered perch-zones (75 to 300 m apart) that were usually in aural but not visual contact. Each team consisted of 3 to 15 males (x=7.1±3.4), in an apparent linear dominance hierarchy, with an alpha and beta male who did most of the courtship display. In a study population with 50 to 60 active males per season, only 6 to 8 males were alphas. Only betas inherited alpha status (n=3). Males appear to be 8 or more years of age before attaining beta status. Alpha tenure can last 4 years. Alpha males were rarely or never seen in zones other than their 'home' zone. Lower-ranking males maintained simultaneous affiliations with males at as many as 6 different zones. Each zone, therefore, was a sort of hub at which males with different affiliations around the rim came into contact. Each of the 6 major perch-zones shared at least one constituent with each of the other zones. The mean number of males shared by zones was 3.9 ± 2.7 (range=1 to 9). Marked changes occurred in male traits with increasing age and status. These included (1) Significant declines in weight throughout the lifespan, (2) a 4-year delay in plumage maturation with well-defined stages, (3) reduction in the number of zones with which males maintained affiliations, and (4) increasing probability of copulatory success (restricted to a small subset of the oldest males, ≥ 10 years of age). Variance in copulatory success was the highest yet described for birds. Of 85 males monitored between 1983 and 1986, copulations (n=121) were distributed among only 8 males. Four of these males accounted for over 90% of the copulations, with 63% accruing to one male. The beta male of this alpha copulated twice in the absence of his partner; all the other copulaters were alphas. I examined correlates of male mating success. Female visitation correlated with the number of unison 'toledo' calls given. If a female visited, copulatory success correlated both with a residual effect of the 'toledo' output and with the duration of the 'butterfly' component of the dual-male dance performance. My correlational results suggest that females do choose, on the basis of performance cues, among the small subset of males that are well-established alpha and beta partners. Development of alliances, as much as male combat, may determine attainment of high-performance partner status. Thus, sequential male-male interactions and female choice appear to produce nested subsets of successful males leading to an extreme in variance in male mating success. Males unsuccessful in male-male interactions are not 'eligible' for female choice. By requiring partnered display, females may be implicitly narrowing the subset of potentially successful males. In other lek systems the union, rather than the intersection, of the subsets produced by intra- and intersexual selection may include successful males. In that case, intrasexual selection via disruption of copulations may enlarge the pool of potentially successful males under intersexual selection and produce lower variances in male mating success. Students of sexual selection may need to consider the extent to which intra- and intersexual selection interact as union or intersecting sets to produce variance in male mating success.
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17

Landau, Virginia Ilene 1943. "THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DOMINANCE AND THE USE OF SPACE IN NEW WORLD MONKEYS (SAIMIRI SCIUREUS)." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/275501.

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18

Phillips, Catherine T. Johnston Carol Eileen. "Evolution of signal divergence and behavior in Cyprinella galactura, the whitetail shiner." Auburn, Ala., 2006. http://repo.lib.auburn.edu/2006%20Fall/Dissertations/PHILLIPS_CATHERINE_27.pdf.

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19

De, Luca Paul Anthony. "Age effects on reproductive behavior in the treehopper umbonia crassiscornis (Hemipera: membracidae)." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/4867.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007.
The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on January 31, 2008) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.
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Markarian, Audrey E. "The effect of associative learning on antlion feeding and behavior /." Connect to online version, 2007. http://ada.mtholyoke.edu/setr/websrc/pdfs/www/2007/211.pdf.

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Orrell, Kimberly S. "Display behavior of an Hispaniolan anole : Anolis bahorucoensis /." Thesis, This resource online, 1994. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-07212009-040417/.

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22

Allard, Stephanie M. "The effect of enrichment structures on the behavior of captive western lowland gorillas (gorill g. gorilla) and public perception." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/36539.

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23

Cole, Heather J. "Sibling alliances in juvenile feral pigeons." Thesis, McGill University, 1996. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=23878.

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This thesis examines whether juvenile feral pigeons, Columba livia, form sibling alliances when competing for access to a defensible food source. When tested as a flock at a non-depletable column feeder, with room for either one or two birds to feed, siblings associated with each other more often than expected by chance. Frequency of aggression between siblings at these feeders tended to be lower than expected on the basis of their association. Removal experiments showed that sibling presence had a positive effect on relative feeding success at the single column feeder: a juvenile who lost to another juvenile on a one-to-one basis tended, in the presence of its sibling, to lose less badly to, or even beat, that same juvenile. In contrast, presence of the winner's sibling tended not to affect the relative feeding success of competitors. These results support the hypothesis that pigeon siblings form aggressive alliances when competing for food that is defensible.
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Forster, Felicity. "Exploration in the rat and the marmoset : relationships between learning and object novelty in an open field /." Title page, contents and summary only, 1992. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phf732.pdf.

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Oberski, Iddo M. "Dynamics of grooming and grooming reciprocation in a group of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)." Thesis, University of Stirling, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/3463.

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Grooming relationships between adult male chimpanzees are often reciprocal, i.e. individuals receive grooming from those they groom. Grooming may be reciprocated at the same time it is received (mutual grooming), or later within the same grooming session. Alternatively, it can be reciprocated at a much later stage, in another session. An analysis of individual grooming sessions at the dyadic level was used to investigate how chimpanzees reciprocate grooming within these sessions. This study describes the grooming and reciprocation of grooming by male chimpanzees, living in a multi-male, multi-female group at the Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland. A method for the analysis of dyadic grooming relationships was based on the presence or absence of mutual and unilateral grooming in a session, which allows seven types of grooming session to be distinguished. Grooming session was defined empirically, and the duration of the bout criterion interval (BCl) depended on the presence or absence of oestrous females. For comparison, however, the same BCI was used throughout. Without oestrous females, grooming was primarily reciprocated in sessions with mutual grooming and unilateral grooming by both participants. This kind of session proved highly cooperative and each male adjusted the duration of his unilateral grooming to that of mutual grooming, rather than to the duration of unilateral grooming by the other male. Mutual grooming was less important to dyads which had a strong grooming relationship. It is suggested that mutual grooming serves as an indication of the motivation to groom unilaterally. There was no indication that males reciprocated on the basis of TIT-FOR-TAT within these sessions, or between sessions in general. Alternative hypotheses of mutual grooming were only partly confirmed in that some dyads used mutual grooming to reduce the (already very short) time they spent in grooming. However, mutual grooming did not arise from the accidental overlap in the grooming of two partners. In the presence of oestrous females, grooming cooperation between the males broke down, and this was the result of heightened aggression as well as the presence of oestrous females itself. The balance in grooming given and received shifted in the direction of dominants (i.e. dominants received more) under the influence of oestrous females, but in the opposite direction under the influence of aggression. Feeding had no effect on the reciprocity of groormng. There was considerable dyadic variation. Some dyads groomed more when there were oestrous females, others groomed less. Some dyads had proportionally less mutual grooming with increasing numbers of oestrous females, others had more. There were generally no clear patterns of grooming reciprocation over longer time-spans than the session, but the overall degree of reciprocity of a dyad was frequently reached at the end of each day. Tracing the degree of reciprocation over a few weeks indicated that some dyads' grooming was governed by dominance, whereas that of others by cooperation.
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Hasson, Oren. "Theoretical studies of the evolution of male display by sexual selection." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/184261.

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In this study I present a new mechanism for the evolution of male display as a consequence of female choice. I use a population genetic model to show that if female preferences for better males are based on a cue that is an integral part of male adaptation, a display may evolve if it amplifies the variance in this cue, and hence increases female resolution power with respect to male quality. This evolutionary mechanism is used as a core of a theory that explains the evolution of male display and adaptive female choice (i.e. female preferences that evolve because of their association with high quality genes). I argue that because an amplifying display (termed "amplifier") decreases mating success of males of poor quality, modifiers are likely to evolve that decrease the expression of the amplifier when associated with the poor quality males. As a result, the amplifier's expression becomes an indicator of male quality, and provides sufficient conditions for the evolution of a new type of female choice that is based on the amplifier's expression. This process may lead, in turn, to further changes in both female choice and male display, emphasizing either the amplifying effect of displays or their indicating effect. I show that the direction of these changes may depend on the cost that the amplifier confers on male viability, and on the degree of polygyny of the mating system in concern. I also outline explicit predictions for empirical tests.
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Wagenknecht, Ronja. "Seeing Beyond Words : Animals teach us about our natural ability to lead." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för organisation och entreprenörskap (OE), 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-74635.

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Nonverbal communication in leadership is a phenomenon which is interesting to get a greater understanding of. Animals only communicate nonverbally and have strong leadership behaviours. Therefore, this study aim is to find out in what way nonverbal communication in leaders is still connected to animal roots and what the implications for modern life are. This study tries to give an overview of the phenomenon with a theoretical approach. Different point of views of nonverbal communication and animal behaviour in leaders have been discussed. A theoretical approach was suitable because of the abundance of literature in the main fields of focus. Connecting the different studies with each other gave valuable insights into the phenomenon. Power, status, submission, territory, space, and mating behaviours are the most used categories associated with leadership behaviours in animal species. Human leadership behaviour consists of the same categories but furthermore, emotional intelligence is an integral part as well. Different postures, gestures, facial expressions as well as distances to each other gave a comprehensive overview of how leaders are naturally behaving. Deciphering the complex nonverbal communication and looking at them with aspects of communication in animals helped with showing the roots and the natural ability to lead. Further research, however, should be conducted to see how nonverbal communication influences complex group dynamics and the effect thereof. Implications for the natural instincts to lead are helpful with how leaders can further their communication skills and become more conscious of their nonverbal communication.
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Gust, Deborah Anne. "An investigation of the role of uncertainty in the choice component of foraging in a captive group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/29359.

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Au, Zher Wen, and 歐哲彣. "Effects of postnatal interference of vestibular GABA transmission on navigation behavior in adult rats." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/206562.

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Although spatial navigation is predominantly guided by allothetic visual cues, idiothetic cues can obtain control when familiar visual cues are not available. In path integration, the current position and orientation are estimated and continuously updated using idiothetic cues, which are contributed by the vestibular system. Previous studies have revealed that vestibular lesioned rats were significantly impaired in path integration. Rats assessed in the current study received neonatal treatment with either VU0240551 (KCC2 blocker) or muscimol (GABAA receptors agonist) in the vestibular nuclei. Path integration ability appears to be intact in rats receiving either treatment. However, VU0240551-treated rats displayed impairments in their ability to resolve conflicting allothetic and idiothetic cues. Therefore, it is proposed that the ability to properly resolve a cue-conflict requires the normal polarity of GABA and/or glycine action in the vestibular nuclei during the neonatal period.
published_or_final_version
Physiology
Master
Master of Medical Sciences
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30

Reinertsen, Megan E. "Pairing in captive chilean flamingos as a function of social separation methods." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/29457.

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31

Anness, Lorna Margaret. "Social relationships of infants of resident females and infants of immigrant females in mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei)." Scholarly Commons, 1990. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/2198.

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This study compares social behavior of infants of resident mothers and infants of immigrant mothers in social groups of the mountain gorilla, Gorilla gorilla beringei. Infants of immigrant mothers spent more time in proximity to their mothers during group resting. They spent more time in solo play and less time in social play during group feeding. Their opportunity for social interaction with peers may be restricted mostly to group rest periods and their social play levels during this time are higher than infants with resident mothers. However, during both group resting and feeding they spent less time near other infants and they initiated fewer dyadic play bouts.
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32

Dossey, Nicole Sabina. "Effects of play experience on fear-related behavior of chickens." Pullman, Wash. : Washington State University, 2009. http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu/Thesis/Summer2009/n_dossey_052209.pdf.

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Thesis (M.S. in animal science)--Washington State University, August 2009.
Title from PDF title page (viewed on July 27, 2009). "Department of Animal Science." Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-119).
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33

Hauver, Stephanie Anne. "Genetic determinants of raccoon social behavior in a highly urbanized environment." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1211198470.

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34

Townsend, Simon W. "Intra-sexual competition and vocal counter-strategies in wild female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii)." Thesis, St Andrews, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/774.

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35

Burks, Kyle. "Managing aggression in the socialization of an isolated adult male gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/29156.

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36

Ogden, Jacqueline Jean. "A comparative evaluation of naturalistic habitats for captive lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/29173.

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37

Deikel, Stuart Mark. "Effects of methylmercury chloride on the social behavior of vervet monkeys." Thesis, McGill University, 1986. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=74016.

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38

Lundén, Gabrielle. "Play Behavior and its Importance for Welfare in Chickens and Other Farm Animals." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Biologi, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-167835.

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Play is a self-motivated seemingly non-functional behavior mainly observed in young animals. Moreover, play behaviors can be divided into three categories; social play, object play and locomotor play. The type of activity the category contains varies, as play behaviors vary between species. Play behavior is seen as an indicator of positive emotions in animals, therefore play could be an indicator of welfare. However, the relationship between play and welfare requires further studies. In this study, information was compiled from various articles about play and its relation to welfare. Above all, the study focuses on welfare and play in chickens, as studies on chickens are most lacking. Play provides several benefits regarding motor training, social cohesion and cognitive training. Livestock such as calves, piglets and lambs have all been observed playing. No play has been confirmed in chickens which is mainly due to lack of research. However, play has been observed in other bird species, including birds within the order Galliformes. Amount and type of play varies depending on the environment, which suggests that animal welfare has a great significance for play. If no play occurs, one could conclude that welfare needs to be improved. Lack of play observed in chickens could be due to poor welfare or lack of research. After all, presence of play in other bird species increases the probability that chickens also play. Results indicate that play could be used as an indicator for welfare.
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39

Winquist, Steven Todd. "A comparative analysis of two secondary sexual characters in birds." Thesis, McGill University, 1993. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=26184.

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This thesis investigates the evolution of two secondary sexual characters in birds, large male body size and exaggerated male tail length. To determine whether the elaboration of these two characters is associated with two correlates of sexual selection intensity, mating system and parental care, I collected and examined morphological information for 1,990 species and natural history data for 745 species. Comparative studies should account for the problem of related species sharing similarities through common descent, so here I investigate associations with contrast scores that measure the variation radiating from unique ancestral nodes in a phylogeny. I show that greater polygyny correlates strongly with increasing male size but only slightly with longer male tail length, and that lesser paternal care correlates strongly with both traits. These results indicate that the evolution of increased male body size and exaggerated male tail length in birds is substantially influenced by the intensity of sexual selection.
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40

Dorgan, Kelly M. "Mechanics of Burrowing in Muddy Sediments." Fogler Library, University of Maine, 2007. http://www.library.umaine.edu/theses/pdf/DorganKM2007.pdf.

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41

Freidin, Esteban. "Rationality, foraging, and associative learning : an integraltive approach." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2007. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:76c2b5f0-aa69-4cb7-9bfb-21b14dd510d2.

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One basic requisite for rationality is that choices are consistent across situations. Animals commonly violate rationality premises as evidenced, for example, by context-dependent choices, and such apparent irrationalities stand as paradoxes that instigate re-examination of some assumptions in behaviour ecological modelling. The goal of the present thesis was to study the psychological mechanisms underlying apparent irrationalities in order to assess the functional implications of general processes of valuation and choice. A common thread through the different studies is the hypothesis that most animal 'irrationalities' are due to misinterpretation of what the optimum would be in natural circumstances, and hence of the maximised currency in the theoretical predictions. I believe that the trait that may have been of paramount influence in many organisms' selective history was the ability to learn about the predictability of events and their biological value, and that this is implemented in an overriding force of associative learning mechanisms. In chapters 2 and 3, I present evidence of context-dependent foraging choices in European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, in the laboratory, and I implement a version of the Rescorla- Wagner learning model to account for both present data and apparent irrationalities reported by other authors. In chapter 4, I test the notion that context dependence may in fact be adaptive when animals face sequential choices, namely when they have to decide whether to take a prey item or to skip it in order to search for better alternatives. In chapter 5, I explore the functional implications of starlings' relative responding to incentives during an unexpected shortfall in reinforcement, and I also examine the extent to which information about the new environmental status helps them avoid energetic and time costs commonly seen in uninformed individuals. Last, in chapter 6, I present a brief summary of the main discussions considered and conclusions reached along this thesis.
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42

Himmler, Brett T., and University of Lethbridge Faculty of Arts and Science. "The effect of playful experiences on the plasticity and metaplasticity of the brain." Thesis, Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Neuroscience, 2011, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10133/3081.

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The influence of play behavior on the brain was investigated through plasticity and metaplasticity methodology. Regions in both cortical and sub-cortical areas were investigated. Animals in both studies either experienced play with juvenile partners or did not experience play by being paired with an adult. Play experience alone was shown to affect the plasticity in the prefrontal cortex, although it did not show structural changes to sub-cortical regions. If animals were given nicotine after play experiences, the affects of play in the prefrontal cortex were abolished. In addition, playful behaviors appear to prime some sub-cortical regions of the brain for expression of later plasticity. Thus, play appears to alter the structure of multiple brain areas, but do so in different ways.
ix, 67 leaves ; 29 cm
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43

Schwartz, Brian A. "Sex-specific investment in incubation and the reproductive biology of two tropical antbird." [Missoula, Mont.] : The University of Montana, 2008. http://etd.lib.umt.edu/theses/available/etd-05072008-151032/unrestricted/MSc_Thesis_Brian_A._Schwartz2008.docx.

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44

Villarreal, Ronald Paul. "Pavlovian conditioning of social affiliative behavior in the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus /." Digital version accessible at:, 1999. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/main.

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45

Çetinkaya, Hakan. "Circadian organization of sexual behavior in male Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) /." Digital version accessible at:, 1999. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/main.

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46

Suich, Peter D. "Establishing the Dance Floor: Frame Manipulation Experiments." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2015. https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/253.

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Past studies of honey bee populations, in both natural and laboratory settings have allowed researchers to elucidate the dance language of honey bees within the hive. While the intent and meaning of the waggle dance is thoroughly understood, the area within the hive on which the bees dance is poorly understood. Several factors that may contribute to waggle dancing were studied: substrate, scent and hive entrance proximity. Two separate honey bee colonies were placed in three-frame observation hives. After establishing the dance floor, new experimental conditions were introduced by changing the position of the frames and watching for three days per experimental manipulation. Every experimental manipulation but one was followed by an adjustment period, which lasted at least a couple of days. Dancers eventually resumed dancing close to the hive entrance, though a possible predisposition towards brood and/or capped brood substrates was noted on two occasions. Some bees appeared to follow the old dance floor, but this apparent tendency quickly dissipated. Proximity to hive entrance appears to be the determining factor, and any influence of substrate and scent is secondary.
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47

Fourie, Petrus Bernardus. "Acoustic communication and social behaviour of the rock dassie Procavia capensis (Pallas), in captivity." Pretoria : [s.n.], 2010. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-04262010-140434.

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48

Pfaus, James George. "The role of brain dopamine systems in anticipatory and consummatory aspects of sexual behavior in the male rat." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/30594.

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The role of brain dopamine (DA) systems in the control of anticipatory and consummatory aspects of the sexual behavior of male rats was examined in the present experiments. Experiment I explored the statistical relationship among anticipatory and consummatory measures of male sexual behavior using multiple correlations and factor analysis. Level changing, a measure of anticipatory behavioral excitement, was not related statistically to any of the consummatory measures of copulation, whereas several consummatory measures were correlated. The factor analysis revealed the existence of five factors: copulatory rate, initiation, hit rate, mount count, and anticipation; given tentative names based on the measures that loaded most heavily onto each factor. These results established that anticipatory and consummatory measures of male sexual behavior are unrelated statistically. Experiment II examined the dose-response effects of several DA receptor antagonists on anticipatory and consummatory measures of male sexual behavior. Systemic administration of the typical neuroleptics haloperidol and pimozide, and the Dl-selective antagonist SCH 23390, significantly reduced the number of level changes, increased the intromission latencies, and decreased the number of intromissions and the total number of ejaculations. The atypical neuroleptic clozapine and the D2-selective antagonist sulpiride reduced the number of level changes and significantly increased the intromission latencies, but did not affect the number of intromissions or ejaculations. In almost every case, the doses required to reduce level changing were lower than those required to increase the intromission latencies, indicating that the measure of anticipatory sexual behavior was more sensitive to disruption by DA antagonists than were consummatory measures of sexual behavior. The antiemetic agent metoclopramide decreased the number of intromissions but did not affect other anticipatory or consummatory measures of sexual behavior significantly. High doses of haloperidol, pimozide, or clozapine delayed or abolished level changing and the initiation of copulation. These results indicated that anticipatory and consummatory measures of male sexual behavior are affected differentially by DA antagonists. Experiment III provided the first evidence that haloperidol affects anticipatory and consummatory measures of male sexual behavior selectively in different brain DA terminals. Bilateral infusions of haloperidol to the nucleus accumbens reduced level changing without affecting the initiation of copulation or other consummatory measures. Bilateral infusions of haloperidol to the striatum increased the total number of ejaculations but did not affect other consummatory or anticipatory measures. Unilateral infusions of haloperidol to the medial preoptic area (MPOA) produced nearly all of the effects of systemic administration, including reduced number of level changes, increased intromission latencies, and decreased number of intromissions and ejaculations. These results indicated that DA in the nucleus accumbens and striatum are involved in the display of anticipatory sexual behavior and copulatory rate, respectively, whereas DA in the MPOA is involved in anticipatory sexual behavior, the initiation of copulation, and copulatory rate. In Experiment IV, in vivo voltammetry revealed a differential pattern of DA efflux in the nucleus accumbens and striatum, and catecholamine efflux in the MPOA, during anticipatory and consummatory phases of sexual behavior in male rats. Increased DA efflux in the nucleus accumbens and increased catecholamine efflux in the MPOA were associated with the presentation of a receptive female behind a screen and with the initiation of copulation. Efflux in both regions decreased following ejaculation but increased prior to each reinitiation of copulation. DA efflux in the striatum increased nonspecifically during copulation. Use of in vivo microdialysis confirmed the general pattern of DA efflux in the nucleus accumbens and striatum observed with voltammetry. These results were interpreted as supporting a role of DA terminals in the nucleus accumbens and MPOA, but not the striatum, in the display of anticipatory sexual behavior and in the initiation of copulation. In particular, the increased release of DA in the MPOA was viewed as sensitizing hypothalamic mechanisms involved in the control of penile erection whereas the increased release of DA in the nucleus accumbens was viewed as sensitizing motor programs necessary for the execution of anticipatory sexual responses and the initiation of mounting.
Arts, Faculty of
Psychology, Department of
Graduate
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49

Larsen, Caroline, and n/a. "Pheromones, prolactin and maternal behavior : (male pheromones initiate prolactin-induced neurogenesis, decrease anxiety and advance maternal behavior in virgin female mice)." University of Otago. Department of Anatomy & Structural Biology, 2007. http://adt.otago.ac.nz./public/adt-NZDU20071019.134553.

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Maternal behavior in rodents is dependent, at least in part, on prolactin acting in the brain. Pheromones carried by male mouse major urinary proteins lower serum prolactin levels in female mice. Therefore, we hypothesized that virgin female C57BL/6J mice housed in split cages, where they had pheromonal but not physical contact with a male, would show suppressed maternal behavior. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found split-cage housed females were significantly faster to retrieve 3 foster pups on the first and second day of maternal behavior testing compared to mice housed in individual cages. The advancement in maternal behavior was replicated when virgin females were simply exposed to male mouse urine-soaked bedding. Ovariectomising the mice, to remove the influence of steroid hormones, prior to placement in the split cages, prevented the pheromonal advancement of maternal behavior. The data infer that an ovarian steroid-dependent action of male mouse pheromones primes virgin female mice to express maternal behavior more rapidly when mouse pups are introduced. This effect required greater than 14 days exposure to male pheromones. Male mouse pheromones are reported to suppress prolactin secretion. However, serum prolactin levels in split-caged housed females, where they had pheromonal but not physical contact with a male, were only briefly lowered and became significantly elevated from 24 hours until 72 hours of pheromonal contact. Despite the early increases in prolactin after pheromone exposure, levels were significantly lower in the pheromone-exposed females when maternal behavior was tested after 21 days. It has been previously reported that prolactin is important in the onset of maternal behavior, but is not required for the ongoing maintenance of maternal behavior. We hypothesised that the hyperprolactinemia observed in the first 24-72 hours of pheromonai exposure had subsequently led to the enhanced maternal behavior. To test this we injected a group of individually-housed mice with slow release prolactin for 48 hours to simulate the period of hyperprolactinemia, and blocked prolactin secretion in a group of split-caged housed females with bromocriptine, and tested their maternal behavior 18 days later. The mice injected with prolactin had enhanced maternal behavior, compared to controls injected with a placebo. By contrast, bromocriptine inhibition of prolactin secretion completely prevented the pheromonal enhancement of maternal behavior. This suggests that the pheromonal advancement of maternal behavior is specifically mediated by a 48-hour period of sustained hyperprolactinemia. It has been previously shown that pregnancy increases neurogenesis in the subventricular zone in a prolactin-dependent manner. Therefore, as the male pheromone-induced advancement of maternal behavior is prolactin-dependent and takes some time to occur, we hypothesized that long-term pheromonal contact initiates mitogenesis in the subventricular zone. Split-caged housed mice showed a significant increase in BrdU-labeled cells in the subventricular zone after 7 days of contact which reduced to baseline levels by 14 days of contact. The mice injected with BrdU on day 7 of contact and killed 21 days later showed a significant increase in labeled cells in the accessory olfactory bulb compared to controls. The data suggest that male mouse pheromones initiate mitogenesis in the subventricular zone of virgin C57B6 mice, in an exposure-dependent manner, and that these cells travel via the rostral migratory stream to the accessory olfactory bulb. As with the effect on maternal behavior, the pheromone-induced increase in neurogenesis was steroid- and prolactin-dependent. During pregnancy and lactation in rodents, prolactin receptor expression is increased in the MPOA, an adaptive change, which could lead to an increased neuronal response to serum prolactin levels, which are high just prior to parturition, and consequently could underlie the enhanced maternal responses seen in late pregnancy and after parturition. It is known that systemic prolactin can access the brain, but it is also possible that there could be local synthesis of brain prolactin acting in an autocrine or paracrine manner. Therefore we hypothesized that the pheromonal-induced changes in maternal behavior are being mediated by altered prolactin receptor expression/sensitivity and/or increased production of brain prolactin. Using RT-PCR to measure levels of prolactin receptor and prolactin mRNA, we found changed expression of the 3 short forms and the long form of prolactin receptor mRNA in the arcuate nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and MPOA with either exposure to male pheromones or pups. We also found changes in prolactin mRNA in the MPOA and paraventricular nucleus after exposure to pups or male pheromones. The data suggest that altered levels of expression of the receptor, coupled with local production of brain prolactin acting in an autocrine or paracrine manner, may cause a net change in prolactin cell signaling, which leads to adaptive responses which ensure reproductive success. There is extensive evidence that dopamine is a key neurotransmitter mediating maternal behavior. In addition, there is some evidence that serotonin may also be involved in regulating maternal behavior. Therefore, we hypothesised that the pheromonal-induced changes in maternal behavior would be associated with increased dopaminergic and/or serotonergic neuronal activity in the MPOA and other areas of the brain implicated in maternal behavior expression. Using HPLC to measure levels of dopamine and serotonin and their respective metabolites, we found a significant increase in serotonergic and dopaminergic neuronal activity in the MPOA of virgin female C57BL/6J mice after 24 hours of pheromonal contact. The neuronal activity returned to basal levels after exposure to pups. The data suggest that male mouse pheromones increase serotonergic and dopaminergic neuronal activity in the MPOA, but that dopamine and serotonin levels are tightly regulated within strict parameters dependent on what physical stimuli the female is receiving. Changes in prolactin levels are associated with altered responses to anxiety. There is an increased risk of anxiety and depression with sustained periods of hyperprolactinemia, and in the postpartum period, where there are fluctuations in prolactin levels, there is an increased risk of mood disorders. As pheromones change both serum and brain prolactin levels and prolactin modulates anxiety, we hypothesised that female mice exposed to pheromones would show altered behavioral responses to a standardized test of anxiety. We found that male pheromone-exposed mice showed decreased levels of anxiety on an elevated plus maze compared to individually housed controls. Female mice exposed to female pheromones displayed 2 disparate responses to the plus maze. One female from each cage showed increased anxiety, while her cage-mate showed decreased anxiety, yet both groups of female mice showed impaired maternal behavior. We infer, that in this model, male pheromones decrease anxiety, but anxiety and expression of maternal behavior are not directly correlated. The major signal transduction pathway activated by prolactin binding to its receptors in the brain is the JAK/STAT signalling pathway, and in some neurons, in particular, the STAT5B pathway. The expression of prolactin and its receptor affect maternal behavior in mice. Therefore, we hypothesised that if the JAK/STAT STAT5B pathway is involved in maternal behavior, then STAT5B-deficient mice would have altered maternal behavior. We found that there were no significant differences in expression of full maternal behavior between the STAT5B-deficient mice and wild-type controls. The data suggest that STAT5B is not required for normal expression of maternal behavior. We propose that the prolactin-mediated pheromonal increase in neurogenesis, alteration in monoamine synthesis, and alteration of prolactin and prolactin receptor mRNA levels facilitate expression of enhanced maternal behavior. We further propose that the pheromonal decrease in anxiety does not mediate enhanced maternal behavior. In addition, we propose that prolactin does not mediate maternal behavior through STAT5B. While pheromones have previously been reported to exert powerful actions on the reproductive system, these results demonstrate for the first time that male pheromones potentially complement the prolactin-mediated establishment of maternal behavior.
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50

Le, Roux Aliza. "Communication in the yellow mongoose, Cynictis penicillata." Thesis, Link to the online version, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10019/666.

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