Object permanence in ring doves (Streptopelia risoria).

Object permanence tests were administered to ring doves (Streptopelia risoria). In Experiment 1 (N?=?4), doves received tests in which a food cup was moved behind a screen as the subject watched. The birds successfully retrieved the food when a single screen was used but failed to do so when food was displaced behind 1 of 2 simultaneously present screens. In Experiment 2 (N?=?4), doves were allowed to initiate search movement before the object disappeared behind 1 of 2 screens. This procedural change improved performance. In Experiment 3 (N?=?2), a screen was lowered over a stationary object as the subject approached the object. Lowering the screen interrupted search behavior temporarily without impairing performance. It is argued that interruption of search behavior requires some cognitive flexibility that the typical Stage 4a capacity described in Piaget's theory does not include. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Timing of incubation bouts by ring doves (Streptopelia risoria).

Three experiments, with 20 pairs of ring doves, evaluated the role of the sexes in determining nest exchange, approaches to the nest, and the timing of incubation behavior, and the topography of interactions at the nest site were continuously monitored. Most nest exchanges (87%) were initiated by the nonsitting mate. There was less variability associated with the onset of sitting by the female than by the male. The male entered the nest area repeatedly from the time of lights-on until nest exchange several hours later. In contrast, the female rarely entered the nest area when the male was sitting, and when she did approach, nest exchange usually ensued. When the male's entrances to the nest area were prevented until the usual time of nest exchange, the timing of the subsequent sitting bout and nest exchange was not altered, which indicates that male visits are not a necessary prerequisite for nest exchange. Each pair developed a cooperative interaction as incubation progressed. When mates were exchanged among physiologically synchronized pairs, a serious disruption of sitting resulted. It is concluded that behavioral synchrony between the mates in the form of each pair's bond is as necessary as physiological synchrony in maintaining intermate cooperation in parental behavior of ring doves. (41 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contribution of nesting experience to progesterone-induced incubation in ring doves (Streptopelia risoria).

Examined whether exposure of 60 ring doves to progesterone during the nest-building phase would be sufficient to account for the ability of progesterone to induce incubation at a later time or whether some other factor provided by nest-building experience with this phase of the cycle would be needed. Six groups of 10 pairs of Ss each were provided with different combinations of experience and progesterone priming. Progesterone priming (100 μg for 4 days), combined with social isolation or with courtship experience, had no significant effect on subsequent progesterone-induced incubation. However, Ss that participated in the nesting phase of the cycle during progesterone priming later incubated in response to progesterone treatment. Nesting activity, which did or did not include building the nest, seemed to be the relevant experience. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of nest-building activity in gonadotropin secretions and the reproductive success of ring doves (Streptopelia risoria).

Investigated the intricate relations between prelaying nest-building activity and preovulatory hormonal changes, and the effects of these events on breeding success. 40 pairs of ring doves were allowed to go through a complete breeding cycle under 4 conditions of nest-building opportunity. Nests were self-made, pre-made, pre-made and covered, or removed daily to generate various levels of building activity. Behavioral and hormonal changes were observed throughout the cycle. Blood levels of gonadotropins were monitored by daily measurements with the method of radioimmunoassay. A depression of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) typically was associated with every preovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone (LH); an LH surge not accomplished by a FSH dip was not followed by ovulation. Moreover, the FSH depression was significantly correlated with the level of nest-building activity. It is proposed that nest-building activity stimulated preovulatory FSH change and, hence, ovulation. The constructed nest, in turn, appeared to promote incubation behavior. (54 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hormones and midbrain mediation of courtship behavior in the male ring dove (Streptopelia risoria).

Investigated the possible role of the intercollicularis (ICo) region in the androgen-dependent courtship behavior of male ring doves. In Exp I, bilateral lesions in the ICo region reduced nest-cooing but did not specifically alter other courtship behavior of males tested with stimulus females. In Exp II, unilateral implants containing crystalline testosterone propionate (TP) or cholesterol (C) were placed in the ICo region or in other parts of the midbrain of castrated Ss. The TP implants activatad nest-cooing only when placed in the ICo region. Diffusion from the implant was probably not responsible for the elicitation of nest-cooing, since the weights of the peripheral steroid-sensitive tissues of Ss implanted with TP and C did not differ and since many sites near, but not in, the ICo region were ineffective. Data demonstrate the importance of the ICo region in the expression of courtship behavior in the male ring dove. The facilitation of certain vocal courtship behavior by hormonal stimulation is in line with the suggestion that the central gray/ICo/torus semicircularis regions of the vertebrate brain are analogous in their mediation of vocalizations. (58 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Patterns of Fos-like immunoreactivity in the brains of parent ring doves (Streptopelia risoria) given tactile and nontactile exposure to their young.

Neuronal activation was examined by fos immunohistochemistry in ring doves (Streptopelia risoria) reunited with their young after overnight separation. In an initial study, squab-exposed parents showed more fos immunoreactivity (ir) in the preoptic area (POA) and lateral hypothalamus (LH) than squab-deprived parents. In a 2nd study, parents allowed free access to young and those separated from young by a wire mesh partition showed more fos-ir in the POA, LH, and lateral septum than box-exposed controls. Contact with young also increased fos-ir in the medial preoptic nucleus and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, but noncontact exposure did not. Conversely, nontactile squab exposure stimulated more fos-ir in the POA than did free access to young, which suggests POA involvement in appetitive aspects of parenting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social influences on feeding site selection by Burmese fowl (Gallus gallus).

Naive, adolescent Burmese red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus spadiceus) observed trained conspecifics feeding in a large enclosure. When tested 48 hrs later, observers exhibited significantly enhanced preferences both for the type of foraging site and for the area in the enclosure where they had observed conspecifics foraging successfully. Such delayed influences of observations of foraging success on the orientation of feeding by an observer can be explained as an instance of stimulus enhancement (K. W. Spence, 1937) but not as an example of local enhancement (W. H. Thorpe, 1963). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Estrogen-Progesterone Regulation of Nest-Building and Incubation Behavior in Ovariectomized Ring Doves (Streptopelia risoria)": Erratum.

Reports an error in the original article by Mei-Fang Cheng and Rae Silver (Journal of Comparative & Physiological Psychology, 1975[Jan], Vol 88[1], 256-263). The address for the request for reprints should have read "Institute of Animal Behavior, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102." (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1975-08949-001.) Determined the role of ovarian hormones in the induction of nest-building (tucking) and incubation behavior in female doves by systemic injections of estrogen, or progesterone, or estrogen combined with progesterone, or oil in 40 reproductively experienced, ovariectomized Ss. Combined estrogen and progesterone treatment was the most effective hormone regimen for eliciting both behavior patterns in females and also facilitated these behaviors in their 40 untreated mates. Differences in role of the gonadal progesterone in male and female doves are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Functional mapping of neural sites mediating prolactin-induced hyperphagia in doves

Microinjections of prolactin (PRL) into the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN) or the preoptic area (POA) have been previously shown to increase food intake and body weight in ring doves. In an attempt to corroborate these results and to provide a more complete map of PRL-sensitive brain sites mediating the orexigenic action of PRL, a microinjection procedure was employed in the present study that delivered PRL or saline vehicle in extremely small volumes (10 nl/injection) to a variety of diencephalic sites in dove brain that had been previously demonstrated to contain high concentrations of PRL receptors. Estimates obtained from one female subject given a single 10 nl injection of [125I]ovine PRL into the VMN supported the claim that such injection volumes resulted in limited diffusion, as 80% of the tissue radioactivity was found within a 280 mm area surrounding the injection site at 30 min after injection. Food intake of cannulated male doves in the mapping study was monitored daily during a 6 day baseline period, an initial 4 day treatment period, a 6-12 day post-treatment recovery period, and a second 4 day treatment period. Approximately half of the birds received PRL injections (50 ng/10 nl twice daily) and saine vehicle injections (10 nl twice daily) during the first and second treatment periods, respectively, while remaining birds received these treatments in the reverse order. No significant changes in food intake across baseline, vehicle, post-treatment, or PRL treatment periods were observed in birds with injection sites in the lateral POA, paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), or the medial-basal hypothalamic region between the tuberal hypothalamus (TU) and VMN. In contrast, injections of PRL into the VMN area, medial POA, or TU resulted in average daily food intake values that significantly exceeded those recorded during other periods. The most robust feeding response was seen in the VMN group, where PRL injections resulted in a 58% increase in food intake over that recorded during injection of vehicle. This increase was significantly greater than that observed following PRL injections into the mPOA (26%) or the TU (32%). These findings suggest that the VMN may be a primary site of PRL action in promoting hyperphagia in this species, although PRL effects at other diencephalic loci, such as the mPOA and TU, may also contribute to the orexigenic action of this hormone.     

Trigeminal deafferentation and feeding behavior patterns in the pigeon (Columba livia).

Data from a study with 11 White Carneaux pigeons show that after an aphagic period, trigeminally deafferented Ss regulated body weight at reduced levels. The deficit involved was characterized by comparing feeding patterns of deafferented and food-deprived birds with equivalent weight losses. Deafferented Ss showed disproportionate increases in meal size during the early portion of the feeding period but abnormally rapid attenuation of feeding activity in the course of the day, which led to a reduced overall level of food intake. Trigeminal input appears to influence both the size of bouts and the frequency of bout initiation. Findings are discussed in relation to the homeostatic model of intake control and within the framework of food conditioning. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparisons of feeding behavior in captive squirrel and titi monkeys (Saimiri sciureus and Callicebus moloch).

In view of behavioral differences observed in natural environments, one might expect that feeding and foraging patterns draw on different behavioral tendencies in squirrel and titi monkeys. Some of these tendencies were identified in the present 4 studies. In the home cage and in the presence of abundant food, squirrel monkeys were rapid, wasteful, and relatively asocial feeders. Titis in the same setting were slower, more selective, thorough, and socially involved feeders. Passive sharing of food between titi pair-mates was common. When competition was increased by presenting a single food item, titis continued to rely on positive social interactions to obtain food; squirrel monkeys still relied mainly on asocial stratagems to obtain food. The species' food preferences in paired-comparison tests were quite similar, although their patterns of obtaining and consuming the foods were not. Squirrel monkeys took food more quickly but consumed less than titis. When the same foods were presented repetitively, squirrel monkeys remained more wasteful consumers and were satiated more quickly than titis, even with highly preferred foods. These differences are discussed in terms of their probable contributions to each species' modal foraging patterns in natural environments. The findings are placed in an adaptive profile framework for each species, based on data accumulated in a series of studies conducted over the last decade. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adult:young ratio influences song acquisition in female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

One parallel between humans and most songbirds is the fact that young require social interactions with an adult to acquire specific vocalizations. Songbirds are considered good models for comparative studies, although reports to date concern almost exclusively male songbirds. In addition, adult influence on vocal communication is generally investigated only in restricted social contexts (usually dyads). Here, the authors analyzed song learning and spatial associations among young female starlings that were maintained for 1 year in dyads (1 adult, 1 young), triads (2 adults, 1 young) or a larger group (7 young, 2 adults). Segregation by age was seen in the triads and in the larger group. The influence of adults (proportion of songs copied from adults) decreased as the young adult ratio increased. Unusual temporal features were observed in young maintained in triads and young neglected copying adult songs in the presence of peers. These results are among the first to explore the circumstances under which females learn and from whom they learn. They also add new insight to a wide range of questions about social influences on learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hand preferences in unimanual and bimanual feeding by wild vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops).

Lateral preference was examined in spontaneous feeding actions in 2 troops of wild vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops). Processing of 4 foods (termites, leaf shoots, sugarcane, and fruit) was studied. Actions included unimanual reaching to moving objects, operating from an unstable posture, and coordinated bimanual processing. Between 19 and 31 subjects were available, according to the task. In 2 tasks, laterality of 2 independent stages was measured separately, giving 6 measures in all. On 4 of these measures, most monkeys were ambipreferent, and only a few showed significant hand preferences. Only for termite feeding and detaching material from fruits did the majority show significant lateralization; no tasks elicited exclusive use of 1 hand. Preference appeared labile, because in 2 tasks, population trends reversed with increasing age. No population trends to left or right were found; instead, these monkeys showed ambilaterality, with lateralization associated with task complexity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Analysis of lateralized components of feeding behavior in the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta).

Twenty-one ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) were videotaped during feeding. They had previously been classified as left-, right- or ambipreferent on the basis of the hand used to reach for food. The feeding sequences provided duration-based measures of manipulation, hand and mouth lateralization, and posture during feeding sequences with 2 types of food. Hand preference for reaching and holding was stable over time and across measurement conditions. As a group, the lemurs grasped fruit bimanually more often than chow; however, right- and ambipreferent lemurs spent more time holding food bimanually than did left-preferent ones. Older animals consumed chow more quickly than did younger animals but did not differ in their rate of manipulation. Lemurs had a preference for using one side of the mouth in feeding, but this had no directional relation to preferred hand. Three postural feeding patterns were identified. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Female condition influences preferences for sexual dimorphism in faces of male humans (Homo sapiens).

In some species, female condition correlates positively with preferences for male secondary sexual traits. Women's preferences for sexually dimorphic characteristics in male faces (facial masculinity) have recently been reported to covary with self-reported attractiveness. As women's attractiveness has been proposed to signal reproductive condition, the findings in human (Homo sapiens) and other species may reflect similar processes. The current study investigated whether the covariation between condition and preferences for masculinity would generalize to 2 further measures of female attractiveness: other-rated facial attractiveness and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Women with high (unattractive) WHR and/or relatively low other-rated facial attractiveness preferred more "feminine" male faces when choosing faces for a long-term relationship than when choosing for a short-term relationship, possibly reflecting diverse tactics in female mate choice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social influences on the acquisition of tool-using behaviors in tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella).

To identify behaviors related to acquisition of tool-use in tufted capuchins (Cebus apella), we presented two tool-using tasks to two groups, extending findings by Westergaard and Fragaszy (1987) and Visalberghi (in press). Five Ss learned to use the tools in each task. The primary predictor of success was level of interest in the task. Observation of others at the apparatus did not facilitate exploratory behaviors or contact with the tools in the observers. Most animals performed exploratory behaviors more often when they were at the apparatus alone than when with another, whether or not the other was using a tool. Observers were quick to learn the relationship between another's activities and the appearance of food. We conclude that capuchins do not readily learn about instrumental relations by observation of others or imitate other's acts. Imitation probably plays no role in the spread of novel instrumental behaviors among monkeys. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The direction and range of ambient temperature change influences yawning in budgerigars (melopsittacus undulatus).

Comparative research suggests that yawning is a thermoregulatory behavior in homeotherms. Our previous experiments revealed that yawning increased in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) as ambient temperature was raised toward body temperature (22→34 °C). In this study, we identify the range of temperatures that triggers yawning to rule out the possible effect of changing temperature in any range. To corroborate its thermoregulatory function, we also related the incidence of yawning to other avian thermoregulatory behaviors in budgerigars (e.g., panting, wing venting). In a repeated measures design, 16 budgerigars were exposed to 4 separate 10-min periods of changing temperatures: (a) low-increasing (23→27 °C), (b) high-increasing (27→33 °C), (c) high-decreasing (34→28 °C), and (d) low-decreasing (28→24 °C). Birds yawned significantly more during the high-increasing temperature range, and yawning was positively correlated with ambient temperature across trials. Yawning was also positively correlated with other thermoregulatory behaviors. This research clarifies the previously demonstrated relationship between yawning rate and temperature by providing evidence that the physiological trigger for yawning is related to increasing body temperatures rather than the detection of changing external temperatures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contribution of different bitter-sensitive taste cells to feeding inhibition in a caterpillar (Manduca sexta).

Many compounds that taste bitter to humans also inhibit feeding in insects. Caterpillars (e.g., Manduca sexta) detect these compounds with a few bitter-sensitive taste cells. This study examined the role of these taste cells in feeding inhibition. Behavioral studies demonstrated that 3 bitter compounds (caffeine, salicin, and aristolochic acid) all inhibited feeding rapidly in Manduca sena. Electrophysiological studies revealed that each pair of bitter-sensitive taste cell differs in responsiveness to the bitter compounds. Ablation studies indicated that (a) those pairs of bitter-sensitive taste cells that responded vigorously to a particular bitter compound were sufficient to inhibit feeding on diets containing the same compound, but that (b) no pair of bitter-sensitive taste cells was necessary for inhibiting feeding. Thus, the different pairs of bitter-sensitive taste cells appear to make partially redundant contributions to feeding inhibition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social influences on the selection of a protein-sufficient diet by Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus).

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 104(2) of Journal of Comparative Psychology (see record 2008-10625-001). There was a misstatement. On page 137, second column, second paragraph, the sentence that begins on line 7 ought to read as follows: Protected t tests revealed that subjects in the Different Food-Same Place Group gained a significantly smaller percentage of body weight than did subjects in each of the other two groups (LSD = .67, both ps Rattus norvegicus) on selection of a nutritionally adequate diet by the naive. We found that during a 7-day test, isolated rats choosing among 4 foods, 3 of which were protein-deficient and 1 of which was protein-rich, failed to learn to prefer the protein-rich diet and lost weight. Conversely, those rats that interacted with conspecifics trained to eat the protein-rich diet developed a strong preference for that diet and thrived. The authors also found that Ss were more strongly influenced in their diet selection by the flavor of the foods eaten by conspecifics than by the locations where conspecifics fed. The results suggest that social influence may be important in development of adaptive patterns of diet choice by rats (or other dietary generalists) that need to find nutritionally adequate diets in demanding environments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of putative satiety peptides on feeding and drinking behavior in golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).

Intraperitoneal cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8 [0.1–5 μg/kg]) reduced feeding in Syrian hamsters in a dose-related fashion, except for males tested during the light phase of the illumination cycle. Proglumide (200 or 400 mg/kg), a putative CCK receptor antagonist, did not alter spontaneous food intake and did not reverse the suppression of feeding resulting from CCK-8. Bombesin (BBS [0.5–20 μg/kg]), thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH [5–200 μg/kg]), and calcitonin (CC [2–22 μg/kg]) produced a dose-related suppression of food intake. BBS appeared to do so specifically. In contrast, TRH appeared to reduce feeding by temporarily debilitating the Ss and CC by evoking behavior (increased locomotor activity) incompatible with feeding. Intracerebroventricular (icv) injections of CCK-8, BBS, and CC produced dose-related inhibition of feeding, but only CCK-8 appeared to affect feeding behavior selectively. Reduced feeding after icv BBS was associated with excessive grooming, and icv CC, like systemic CC, increased locomotor behavior. (72 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)