RE: MIT research reports rats dream of mazes

From: Gatherer, D. (Derek) (D.Gatherer@organon.nhe.akzonobel.nl)
Date: Fri Jan 26 2001 - 08:15:02 GMT

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    From: "Gatherer, D. (Derek)" <D.Gatherer@organon.nhe.akzonobel.nl>
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    Subject: RE: MIT research reports rats dream of mazes
    Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2001 09:15:02 +0100
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    And this one's in Dutch.....
    Anyway, note it says:
    "external stimuli during the period of so-called imprinting may also affect
    the future behaviour of cattle and swine", and those may lead to "ritualized
    behaviour", implying that there is at least the potential for large
    herbivores to learn things from observing other large herbivores. The
    author seems to worry that "this is of particular importance in male animals
    used in artificial insemination". Why? It occurs to me that he might be
    lamenting the absense of paternal role models in cattle, but this just seems
    to bizarre to be credible. I'm sure he must mean something else, but what?
    Anyway, what we need of course, is something that makes similar claims for
    rodents.

    Tijdschr Diergeneeskd 1975 Jun 15;100(12):641-7

    Some ethological features in farm animals.

    [Article in Dutch]

    Goossens JM

    A number of general ethological principles are discussed in the present
    paper. Attention is paid to normal and ritualized behaviour of cattle and
    swine during mating and on aggression. The fact is stressed that external
    stimuli during the period of so-called imprinting may also affect the future
    behaviour of cattle and swine. This is of particular importance in male
    animals used in artificial insemination. Finally, the effect of social
    stress on symptoms such as cannibalism, gastric ulcers and avian hysteria is
    discussed.

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