Exam 1 Ani Sci Terms

Why did humans start following migration patterns?

It made it easier to track them for hunting purposes

Interdependence

mutualism between humans and non-human animals

What do humans use animals for?

food, fiber, transportation, companionship, service, research, sports entertainment, land management and labor/work

As humans moved more towards an omnivorous diet…

gut/digestive efforts decreased and brain sized increased

Choice of meat worldwide?

pork (cheap and similar to red meat)

Why is there an overestimation on the food used by human consumption?

it does not account for food waste

Order of milk producers

cows (holsteins), water buffalo, goats, sheep, and camels

Why has animal fiber use decreased?

synthetic fibers are cheaper and easier to produce

Uses of animal in research

biological models, testing medicine, nutritional research, advancement of the species itself, and to discover how life works

most used animals in research

mice/rats (and birds/fish) because they are not covered by the AWA

3 R’s of animal research

Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement

what is replacement in terms of research

using another species or using non-animal technology in research

what is reduction in terms of research

using old research or statistics to maximize information from a study, using less animals

what is refinement in terms of research

reducing pain, suffering, distress, or lasting harm on animals, includes modifying procedures

what is the trend of public opinion and research on animals?

as the purpose for research becomes more needed, public opposition decreases (ex: cancer vs. product testing)

why are mice/rats used for research

they are affordable, prolific (lots of offspring), reach maturity quickly, and are easy to care for/maintain (also not covered by AWA)

What influences animal use?

region, access, beliefs, perceptions, economics, convenience/value, risk, and media

Evolutionary Theory:

the process by which changes occur over successive generations (genetics+environment=catalyst for evolution)

Natural selection:

best adapted individuals reproduce in greater numbers in that environment

Principles of Evolution:

variation with systems exist in terms of genetic differences and morphological diversity (species change over time and space), species can be selected for in the creation of new variations, all species reproduce under food availability and suitable habitat, species success is dependent on optimum conditions

Principles of Natural Selection:

Ability to Vary (does not introduce variation, works with existing variations), Reproduce in Excess (increases opportunity for genetic variation that offers survival advantage), Changing Environment (current modifications may no longer be an advantage)

Cambrian Explosion

when animals came to be

Jurassic period is when what species arose?

birds

Tertiary period is when what happened?

a big climate shift and the genus homo arose

Holocene Epoch

Agricultural Revolution occurred and the genus Bos was domesticated (cows)

Cenozoic Era

when humans and cats came

Paleocene epoch

warm/humid climate

Eocene epoch

more plants and forestry

Oligocene epoch

dry climate

Miocene epoch

stable climate

Pleistocene epoch

ice age climate

Which two mechanisms add to genetic variation?

Natural selection and genetic drift (random events)

Which two mechanisms act on existing variation?

Mutations and migration/gene flow (ex: land bridge connecting two populations)

Domestication

Process by which striking variation within a species arises to benefit animals for human use

Tame vs. domesticated

tame is individual and one generation (has to be restarted); domesticated is an entire species and occurs over generations

Feral vs. wild

feral is when a domesticated species reverts to wild behaviors out of necessity; wild is a non-domesticated species

What are the two theories/markers of domestication

Master Gene Theory (divergent pathways controlled by one/fewer genes) and Gradualism (many genes involved and multiple paths diverge; slow)

What social behaviors support domestication success?

promiscuous (not selective in mates), social cooperation, signals mating readiness with postures (not color markings), precocial young (become independent fast), low reactivity, diverse diet, and low stress to confinement

What social behaviors oppose domestication success?

monogamous (selective mating), territorial, signals mating readiness through color markings, altricial young (takes a while to be independent), high reaction to human presence, carnivorous, and high stress to confinement

Why did domestication become beneficial?

the move away from hunter-gatherers, population expansion, and an over-exploitation of hunting

Pushes for an Agrarian Society

climate warming, human expansion, and resource depression

Pulls/benefits for an Agrarian Society

social status, release from labor, and innovation (since less time was taken to work)

What order did domestication happen in

Animal attraction → animal keeping → animal breeding → intentional selection (keeping females/males separate) !gradual event!

How did we discover when domestication happened?

archaeological evidence and DNA evidence (from mitochondrial DNA)

examples of animal behavior:

grooming, communication, sleeping, eating, play, and drinking

What factors determine behavior?

genetics/instincts, along with the environment

When an animal detects a threat, the signal goes to the hypothalamus and then to where?

Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)

What instincts come from the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)?

Fight, Flight, or Freeze

What stimuli prompts physiological responses in behavior?

auditory, visual, olfactory, tactile, and taste

How do you detect abnormalities in animal behavior?

Determine what is “normal” and record if anything occurs that doesn’t fit these parameters

What are stereotypic behaviors?

repetitive behaviors with no apparent end goal/function; used as a coping mechanism with lack of enrichment

Can stereotypic behaviors be fully erradicated?

No

When speaking of the development of behavior, what is the critical period?

when it is very easy to learn, often happens in young

When speaking of the development of behavior, what is the sensitive period?

when learning becomes more gradual and you reach a peak, happens in older figures

What are the 4 modes of learning?

Habituation, Classical Conditioning, Operant/Instrumental Learning, and Imprinting

Habituation

non-associative learning; when animals get accustomed to a non-threatening thing and they start to ignore it

Classical Conditioning

associative learning; when something is causing a response from an animal (ex: bell rung before dogs get fed; dogs begin to drool when they hear the bell)

Operant/Instrumental Learning

associative learning; when animal learn through trial and error (ex: clickers used to indicate good behavior)

Imprinting

associative learning; learning right after birth AKA the critical period

4 Major Approaches to studying behavior

Comparative Psychology, Sociobiology, Behavioral Ecology, and Ethology

Comparative Psychology

comparing different behaviors within species or inter-species comparisons to gain knowledge about that behavior (ex: study of infant development using chimpanzees)

Sociobiology

Biological basis of social behavior; understanding social order and communication (ex: dolphins express emotion through sound)

Behavioral Ecology

the relationship between behavior and the environment (ex: gull removing white shells from nest to reduce predator attraction)

Ethology

the behavior of animals in their natural/usual surroundings

Animal Welfare

physical and mental state of an animal in relation to the conditions in which it lives and dies

What are the 5 freedoms of welfare?

freedom from thrist, hunger and malnutrition

freedom from discomfort

freedom from pain, injury, and disease

freedom to express normal behavior

freedom from fear and distress

(limitation: we don’t exactly know what is considered normal, or how to determine discomfort)

Animal Rights Reformist

not as extreme as an abolitionist, but feels that we need to work the system to change methods of animal use

What three factors are considered when coming up with ethical questions?

morals, ethics, and law

3 Schools of Welfare Assessment:

Basic Health/Functioning (physical fitness), Natural Living (environment, socialization), and Affective State (emotional experiences)

What does OneWelfare do?

it ties in animal welfare with human wellbeing with environment conservation

What are the 5 approaches to measuring animal welfare?

5 freedoms, feelings-based approach, animal choice, nature of species/natural living, and biological functioning

What is the feelings-based approach to measuring welfare?

tries to approach the emotions of an animal by attaching human emotions to it (limitation: Anthropomorphizing)

What is the animal choice approach to measuring welfare?

letting animals make their own choice by natural instincts (limitation: the animal choice isn’t always fit for their environment)

What is the natural living approach to measuring welfare?

animals should be raised in their natural environments and in their natural ways (limitation: some domesticated animals’ natural ways could be harmful to them based on their domesticated environment)

What is the biological functioning approach to measuring welfare?

prioritizes when there is a loss in biological functioning, and that is an indication of bad welfare (limitation: does not address social behaviors as part of the well-being)