The postprandial event known as the specific dynamic action is an evolutionarily conserved physiological set of metabolic responses to feeding. Its behavioral counterpart, a sequence of drinking, maintenance (e.g., grooming) and sleep-like behaviors known as the behavioral satiety sequence (BSS), has been thoroughly described in rodents and has enabled the refined evaluation of potential appetite modifiers. However, the presence and attributes of a BSS have not been systematically studied in non-mammalian species. Here, we describe the BSS induced in pigeons (Columba livia) by 1) the presentation of a palatable seed mixture (SM) food to free-feeding animals (SM+FF condition) and 2) re-feeding after a 24-h fasting period (FD24h+SM), which was examined by continuous behavioral recording for 2h. We then compare these patterns to those observed in free-feeding (FF) animals. A set of graphic representations and indexes, drawn from these behaviors (latency, time-to-peak, inter-peak intervals and the first intersection between feeding curves and those of other BSS-typical behaviors) were used to describe the temporal structure and sequential relationships between the pigeon's BSS components. Cramér-von Mises-based statistical procedures and bootstrapping-based methods to compare pairs of complex behavioral curves were described and used for comparisons among the behavioral profiles during the free-feeding recordings and after fasting- and SM-induced BSS. FD24h+SM- and SM+FF-induced feeding were consistently followed by a similar sequence of increased bouts of drinking, followed by preening and then sleep, which were significantly different from that of FF birds. The sequential and temporal patterns of the pigeon's BSS were not affected by differences in food intake or by dissimilarity in motivational content of feeding stimuli. The present data indicated that a BSS pattern can be reliably evoked in the pigeon, in a chronological succession and sequence that strongly resembled that observed in rodents and primates. This pattern can be quantitatively described and compared using different suitable and coordinated behavioral measures, enabling further studies on the comparative and evolutionary aspects of the mechanisms that shape the post-consummatory behavioral flux in amniotes.
Changes in body temperature are significant physiological consequences of stressful stimuli in mammals and birds. Pigeons (Columba livia) prosper in (potentially) stressful urban environments and are common subjects in neurobehavioral studies; however, the thermal responses to stress stimuli by pigeons are poorly known. Here, we describe acute changes in the telemetrically recorded celomatic (core) temperature (Tc) in pigeons given a variety of potentially stressful stimuli, including transfer to a novel cage (ExC) leading to visual isolation from conspecifics, the presence of the experimenter (ExpR), gentle handling (H), sham intracelomatic injections (SI), and the induction of the tonic immobility (TI) response. Transfer to the ExC cage provoked short-lived hyperthermia (10-20 min) followed by a long-lasting and substantial decrease in Tc, which returned to baseline levels 2 h after the start of the test. After a 2-hour stay in the ExC, the other potentially stressful stimuli evoked only weak, marginally significant hyperthermic (ExpR, IT) or hypothermic (SI) responses. Stimuli delivered 26 h after transfer to the ExC induced definite and intense increases in Tc (ExpR, H) or hypothermic responses (SI). These Tc changes appear to be unrelated to modifications in general activity (as measured via telemetrically recorded actimetric data). Repeated testing failed to affect the hypothermic responses to the transference to the ExC, even after nine trials and at 1- or 8-day intervals, suggesting that the social (visual) isolation from conspecifics may be a strong and poorly controllable stimulus in this species. The present data indicated that stress-induced changes in Tc may be a consistent and reliable physiological parameter of stress but that they may also show stressor type-, direction- and species-specific attributes.
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