Effects of domestication on biobehavioural profiles: a comparison of domestic guinea pigs and wild cavies from early to late adolescence

Zipser, Benjamin; Schleking, Anja; Kaiser, Sylvia; Sachser, Norbert

doi:10.1186/1742-9994-11-30

Cited by 27 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 47 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In a recent study, we have compared the biobehavioural profile in domestic guinea pigs and wild cavies from early to late adolescence [32]. Three different domains of the biobehavioural profile were investigated: anxiety-like and risk-taking behaviour, social and courtship behaviour as well as cortisol stress responses.…”

Section: Development Of the Biobehavioural Profile In The Wild And Domentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Statistics: Mann–Whitney U-test (two-tailed), N Domestic = 10, N Wild = 8; * = p ≤ 0.05; ** = p ≤ 0.01. Redrawn after [32]. …”

Section: Development Of the Biobehavioural Profile In The Wild And Domentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this situation stable emotional traits seem to be adaptive. Because these environmental influences are removed during domestication [14], stable emotional responses are no longer necessary, and thus may be lost in domestic guinea pigs [32]. …”

Section: Effects Of Domestication On Animal Personalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The review is primarily based on our publications on this topic [27–32]. In addition, some unpublished data [33] are included.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Domestication affects the structure, development and stability of biobehavioural profiles

2015

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Domestication is an evolutionary process during which the biobehavioural profile (comprising e.g. social and emotional behaviour, cognitive abilities, as well as hormonal stress responses) is substantially reshaped. Using a comparative approach, and focusing mainly on the domestic and wild guinea pig, an established model system for the study of domestication, we review (a) how wild and domestic animals of the same species differ in behaviour, emotion, cognition, and hormonal stress responses, (b) during which phases of life differences in biobehavioural profiles emerge and (c) whether or not animal personalities exist in both the wild and domestic form. Concerning (a), typical changes with domestication include increased courtship, sociopositive and maternal behaviours as well as decreased aggression and attentive behaviour. In addition, domestic animals display more anxiety-like and less risk-taking and exploratory behaviour than the wild form and they show distinctly lower endocrine stress responsiveness. There are no indications, however, that domestic animals have diminished cognitive abilities relative to the wild form. The different biobehavioural profiles of the wild and domestic animals can be regarded as adaptations to the different environmental conditions under which they live, i.e., the natural habitat and artificial man-made housing conditions, respectively. Concerning (b), the comparison of infantile, adolescent and adult wild and domestic guinea pigs shows that the typical biobehavioural profile of the domestic form is already present during early phases of life, that is, during early adolescence and weaning. Thus, differences between the domestic and the wild form can be attributed to genetic alterations resulting from artificial selection, and likely to environmental influences during the pre- and perinatal phase. Interestingly, the frequency of play behaviour does not differ between the domestic and wild form early in life, but is significantly higher in domesticated guinea pigs at later ages. Concerning (c), there is some evidence that personalities occur in both wild and domestic animals. However, there may be differences in which behavioural domains – social and sexual behaviour, emotionality, stress-responsiveness – are consistent over time. These differences are probably due to changing selection pressures during domestication.

show abstract

Section: Development Of the Biobehavioural Profile In The Wild And Domentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Statistics: Mann–Whitney U-test (two-tailed), N Domestic = 10, N Wild = 8; * = p ≤ 0.05; ** = p ≤ 0.01. Redrawn after [32]. …”

Section: Development Of the Biobehavioural Profile In The Wild And Domentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Effects Of Domestication On Animal Personalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The review is primarily based on our publications on this topic [27–32]. In addition, some unpublished data [33] are included.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Domestication affects the structure, development and stability of biobehavioural profiles

2015

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Rood 1972). Guinea pigs also show less explorative behaviour (Künzl et al 2003;Zipser et al 2014) and they are, like other domestic animal species, generally more tolerant and less aggressive to conspecifics than their wild ancestors (e.g. Herre and Röhrs 1990).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Antipredator behaviour of domestic guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The objective of this study was to test the reactions of domestic guinea pigs to the presence of aerial and terrestrial predators in a laboratory setting. We measured the behavioural reactions of 27 adolescent guinea pigs to the presence of a dog, imitation of a bird of prey and an unknown human as control. Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and Mann-Whitney U Test were used to analyse the differences in duration and frequency of responses (freezing, fleeing, and vigilance) to predators. When confronted with the dog, guinea pigs reacted for the longest time and most frequently by freezing. In presence of the bird of prey, they responded for the longest time and most often by freezing and fleeing. In presence of a human, they showed mostly vigilance. When comparing reactions to the dog and human, there were differences in duration and frequency of freezing and fleeing. When comparing reactions to the bird of prey and control test, we observed differences between fleeing and vigilance. The durations and frequencies of freezing, fleeing and vigilance to the dog and bird of prey were different. The only differences in reactions of males and females occurred in duration and frequency of fleeing in presence of the bird of prey. No vocalization was observed except for two occurrences, of a "drrr" and a "chirrup". Our results indicate that domestic guinea pigs tested under laboratory conditions can discriminate between a terrestrial and an aerial predator, when exposed to them individually. Their antipredator behaviours remained functional, although their vocalizations may have been affected by the absence of signal receivers.

show abstract

Experimental evidence that physical activity inhibits osteoarthritis: Implications for inferring activity patterns from osteoarthritis in archeological human skeletons

Wallace

Riew

Landau

et al. 2021

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease whose causes are not fully understood, but a longstanding hypothesis is that OA stems primarily from the cumulative effects of joint mechanical loading throughout life. Based on this wear and tear hypothesis, anthropologists have assumed that the presence of OA in archeological human skeletons can be interpreted as evidence of a highly physically active lifestyle. Here, we use guinea pigs to experimentally test the hypothesis that higher levels of routine physical activity result in greater OA degeneration. Materials and methods Guinea pigs are a useful model for OA research because they spontaneously develop the disease in a manner similar to humans. One group of growing animals was housed for 22 weeks in a large room that promoted voluntary physical activity (4.8 km of movement per day, on average), while animals in another group were housed in small cages that restricted their mobility (n = 15/group). After the experiment, histological and microcomputed tomographic analyses were conducted focusing on the knees. Results Rather than causing greater OA degeneration, elevated levels of routine physical activity resulted in significantly less knee cartilage deterioration, less synovial inflammation, smaller osteophytes, and maintenance of greater epiphyseal trabecular bone quantity. Discussion These results are inconsistent with the hypothesis that high levels of routine physical activity drive the pathogenesis of OA and call into question typical interpretations of OA in studies of archeological human skeletons.

show abstract

Effects of domestication on biobehavioural profiles: a comparison of domestic guinea pigs and wild cavies from early to late adolescence

Cited by 27 publications

References 47 publications

Domestication affects the structure, development and stability of biobehavioural profiles

Domestication affects the structure, development and stability of biobehavioural profiles

Antipredator behaviour of domestic guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)

Experimental evidence that physical activity inhibits osteoarthritis: Implications for inferring activity patterns from osteoarthritis in archeological human skeletons

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About