Exclusion performance in dwarf goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and sheep (Ovis orientalis aries).
Using a comparative approach, we investigated the ability of dwarf goats and sheep to use direct and indirect information about the location of a food reward in an object-choice task. Subjects had to choose between two cups with only one covering a reward. Before making a choice, subjects received i...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2014-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3973590?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1819096251661025280 |
|---|---|
| author | Christian Nawroth Eberhard von Borell Jan Langbein |
| author_facet | Christian Nawroth Eberhard von Borell Jan Langbein |
| author_sort | Christian Nawroth |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Using a comparative approach, we investigated the ability of dwarf goats and sheep to use direct and indirect information about the location of a food reward in an object-choice task. Subjects had to choose between two cups with only one covering a reward. Before making a choice, subjects received information about the baited (direct information) or non-baited cup (indirect information). Both goats and sheep were able to use direct information (presence of food) in the object choice task. After controlling for local enhancement, we found that goats rather than sheep were able to use indirect information (i.e., the absence of food) to find a reward. The actual test setup could not clarify whether individual goats were able to inferentially reason about the content of the baited cup when only shown the content of the non-baited cup or if they simply avoided the empty cup in that situation. As browsing species, feral and wild goats exhibit highly selective feeding behaviour compared to the rather unselective grazing sheep. The potential influence of this species-specific foraging flexibility of goats and sheep for using direct and indirect information to find a food reward is discussed in relation to a higher aversion to losses in food acquisition in goats compared to sheep. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T23:56:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-12c57ff1b6ce4d4f9a873fae1ac59311 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T23:56:14Z |
| publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-12c57ff1b6ce4d4f9a873fae1ac593112022-12-21T18:45:49ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032014-01-0194e9353410.1371/journal.pone.0093534Exclusion performance in dwarf goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and sheep (Ovis orientalis aries).Christian NawrothEberhard von BorellJan LangbeinUsing a comparative approach, we investigated the ability of dwarf goats and sheep to use direct and indirect information about the location of a food reward in an object-choice task. Subjects had to choose between two cups with only one covering a reward. Before making a choice, subjects received information about the baited (direct information) or non-baited cup (indirect information). Both goats and sheep were able to use direct information (presence of food) in the object choice task. After controlling for local enhancement, we found that goats rather than sheep were able to use indirect information (i.e., the absence of food) to find a reward. The actual test setup could not clarify whether individual goats were able to inferentially reason about the content of the baited cup when only shown the content of the non-baited cup or if they simply avoided the empty cup in that situation. As browsing species, feral and wild goats exhibit highly selective feeding behaviour compared to the rather unselective grazing sheep. The potential influence of this species-specific foraging flexibility of goats and sheep for using direct and indirect information to find a food reward is discussed in relation to a higher aversion to losses in food acquisition in goats compared to sheep.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3973590?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Christian Nawroth Eberhard von Borell Jan Langbein Exclusion performance in dwarf goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and sheep (Ovis orientalis aries). PLoS ONE |
| title | Exclusion performance in dwarf goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and sheep (Ovis orientalis aries). |
| title_full | Exclusion performance in dwarf goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and sheep (Ovis orientalis aries). |
| title_fullStr | Exclusion performance in dwarf goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and sheep (Ovis orientalis aries). |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exclusion performance in dwarf goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and sheep (Ovis orientalis aries). |
| title_short | Exclusion performance in dwarf goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and sheep (Ovis orientalis aries). |
| title_sort | exclusion performance in dwarf goats capra aegagrus hircus and sheep ovis orientalis aries |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3973590?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christiannawroth exclusionperformanceindwarfgoatscapraaegagrushircusandsheepovisorientalisaries AT eberhardvonborell exclusionperformanceindwarfgoatscapraaegagrushircusandsheepovisorientalisaries AT janlangbein exclusionperformanceindwarfgoatscapraaegagrushircusandsheepovisorientalisaries |