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Maternal effect in selected rodent species: positive and negative effect on offspring fitness
Malá, Jana ; Landová, Eva (advisor) ; Stopková, Romana (referee)
This work describes the most studied mechanisms which could be classified as maternal effects. Here I focus on the effects of body weight, health status, intestinal microflora and age of the mother in model rodent organisms. I also present factors such as the position of the young in the uterus, population density, stress and especially maternal care, which accompanies this entire work. Each of these mechanisms can positively or negatively influence offspring fitness, depending on specific environmental conditions. Maternal behaviour is presented here in the form of research, which documents both epigenetic and genetic influences acting on its final form. Maternal care as an element of maternal behaviour shows a different measure between individuals, indicated by the frequency of licking and cleaning offsprings. By evaluation of maternal care, we can find in laboratory populations two stable phenotypes of individuals with different behavioural manifestations in terms of sexual behaviour, stress reaction, aggression or cognitive abilities. The discussion critically evaluates whether maternal care really affects reproductive success and whether it can therefore be considered an adaptive mechanism. According to the available information, low maternal care appears to be a more beneficial strategy in...
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Vliv sourozenecké kompetice během přítomnosti u struku na mateřské chování u prasete domácího
Leszkowová, Iva ; Illmannová, Gudrun (advisor) ; Špinka, Marek (referee)
This diploma thesis deal with the neonatal sibling competition during nursing within first day after farrowing, focusing on maternal reaction on neonatal sibling competition during nursing. We predicted that the sow will terminate nursing by a changing posture or by a non- nutritive nursing (i.e. nursing without milk ejection) with increasing number of fights and screams. A total of 19 healthy sows and their litters were directly observed and video recorded during first day after farrowing for 6 h. The behaviour of piglets (fighting, screaming, presence at the udder) in the pre massage and the post massage was scored every 15 seconds. Piglets which missed milk ejection, posture changing of the sow and whether the nursing involve milk ejection were noted. A sum of fighting and screaming piglets in the pre massage and the post massage was calculated. A higher sum of fighting and screaming piglets correlated with a higher proportion of non-nutritive nursing (P<0.001) as well as with a higher proportion of sow posture changing in the pre massage (P<0.01). However, a higher sum of fighting and screaming piglets did not increase the probability of sow posture changing in the post massage. The results show a positive correlation between the litter size and the sum of fighting and screaming piglets in the...
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Individual differences in maternal behavior (maternal style) of mammals
Leszkowová, Iva ; Špinka, Marek (advisor) ; Polák, Jakub (referee)
The expression "maternal style" in the wider sense serves to describe the interspecies interindividual and intraindividual, variability in the maternal care. In the narrow sense it is used only to designate permanent variability in the maternal behaviour among different mothers of the same species. The concept of the maternal style is based on a well-documented fact, that individual parts of maternal behaviour correlate with one another and this mutual bond enables to describe the varied repertoire of the mothers' behaviour by a few dimensions, such as e.g. protectiveness, restrictive, rejection and laissez-faire. Maternal style of primates was described in a wide range (e.g. Berman, 1990; Fairbanks, 1996). Up to today the existence of maternal style has been confirmed also with some rodents (guinea-pig: Albers, 1999; mouse: Benus a Rondigs, 1996), domestic animals (pig: e.g. Špinka et al., 2000; sheep: Dwyer a Lawrence, 2010; goat: O'Brien, 1984) and predators (dog: Wilsson, 1984). KEYWORDS : Maternal style, Maternal behavior, Individual differences, Parent-offspring conflict, Protectiveness, Rejection
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Analýza výskytu odmítání hříbat klisnami
Ničová, Klára
The rejective behaviour of mares to their foals occurs relatively rare in breeding. According to the available literature, there is the evidence of this behaviour between 2 to 5 % of cases. In practice, it complicates the life of the foal, mare and breeder. According to available records, there are several forms of rejecting behavior. They have a different ways of preventing and resolving the situation. As a result of the mare's rejective behavior can be the need of human assistance with a care of the foal. In extreme cases, the behavior of the mare can result in orphanshood of the foal. Within the informations from breeders in Czech Republic, the rejective behaviour was manifested in 15 of 344 (4,36 %) of mares. This group was consisted of mares of different ages and breeds. In total these mares gave birth to 48 foals. Twenty of these foals were partly rejected by their mothers. Only 1 foal died. Two foals were not accepted by their mothers after the assistance of breeder which was necessary and these foals had to be bred by human. The most frequent manifestations is unwillingness of nursing the foal. This behaviour occurred in 13 mares. The mare normally tries to protect her foal from various environmental influences. However, in two mares this behavior was not observed. Other form of rejective behaviour is the fearfulness of mare caused by the presence of the foal. This behaviour was manifested in 20 % of them. Two mares were trying to avoid the contact with their foals. In 46,67 % of cases were demonstrated vocalization of mares to their foals. There was the evidence of 3 cases of chasing foals by their mothers. Threat manifestations are made by effort of biting (7) and kicking (4). Two mares did not sniff their foals, another mare did not show interest in licking of the foal. Both of these activities are very important in forming of social bond between mare and foal. Mares rejected the most often their foals at the age of 4 years. The rejection occurred in both primarous and also multiparous mares. Despite the fact that multiparous mares already have an experiences of parturition and maternity care of offspring.
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Mateřské chování plemenic skotu po odstavu telat
KACETLOVÁ, Tereza
This thesis is concerned with displays of postweaning maternal behaviour of chosen Charolais cows held in non-milking system. The analysis of the cows was done on the farm located in Vysočina region. The herd consisted of 16 cows, 10 of them were observed after weaning. Ethological observation ran for 3 days, first day for 24 hours, second and third day during the time of daylight. Basal behaviour cathegories were registered use of the interval method and the length of interval was 10 minutes. The vocalization was registered permanently. The results of the observation of four basal behavior cathegories were analyzed comparatively.
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Social preferences and interactions of common eland during parturition period
Staňková, Helena ; Komárková, Martina (advisor) ; Fuchs, Roman (referee)
Common elands (Taurotragus oryx) belong between the world's biggest antelopes. The basic social unit is created by several females with offspring, males are joining them only in the breeding period. There is a dominance hierarchy in a herd, which eliminates strong negative conflicts mainly between adult females. Except agonistic interactions, affiliative ones are taken place as well, which have positive impact on relationships in a herd. The aim of this work is t o summarize previous studies dealing with social structure and behaviour of common eland focusing on affiliative, maternal and agonistic interaction in a herd. Experimental part is focused on preferences of females for a choice of the closest companion, if the choice is influenced with age, kinship or maternal state of a female. Data were collected through direct observations of a herd of common elands on a farm Lány using 15 min scans of chosen females. Distances were measured between females and all the other herd members. Selected social behaviour of any two members of a herd was recorded using an all occurrence sampling method. The statistical analysis showed that the most (98,77 %) of interactions were negative, females preferred contactless agonistic interactions, threat and withdrawal. Allogrooming was more often found between a...
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Maternal investment and reproductive strategy in domestic horses
Komárková, Martina ; Bartošová, Jitka (advisor) ; Šumbera, Radim (referee) ; Vlček, Kamil (referee)
The aim of my doctoral thesis is the detailed study of the behavioural and sociobiological principles associated with the period of lactation. Suckling data covering almost 80 foals of domestic horse (Equus caballus) was obtained within four years of observation in the National Stud in Kladruby nad Labem, Czech Republic. The data were evaluated together with the reproductive history of the mothers, their agonistic interactions and following analysis of the dominance position of subadult foals. The first study describes longer suckling (greater maternal care) in dominant mares compared to submissive ones. Dominant mares are also less disturbed during nursing, whereas they terminated the nursing of submissive mares more often. A possible competitive advantage for the offspring of dominant mares may arise from such behaviour. The second paper enlightens the reproductive strategy of mares facing double maternal investment; suckling of the foal and pregnancy at the same time. I found out, contrary to the expectations, that the pregnant mares neither suckled their foals less nor terminated more suckling compared to non-pregnant herdmates. They may try to compensate their suckling foal with the perspective of its early weaning due to ongoing pregnancy. In the third and fourth manuscript I studied, how...
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Vliv sourozenecké kompetice během přítomnosti u struku na mateřské chování u prasete domácího
Leszkowová, Iva ; Illmannová, Gudrun (advisor) ; Špinka, Marek (referee)
This diploma thesis deal with the neonatal sibling competition during nursing within first day after farrowing, focusing on maternal reaction on neonatal sibling competition during nursing. We predicted that the sow will terminate nursing by a changing posture or by a non- nutritive nursing (i.e. nursing without milk ejection) with increasing number of fights and screams. A total of 19 healthy sows and their litters were directly observed and video recorded during first day after farrowing for 6 h. The behaviour of piglets (fighting, screaming, presence at the udder) in the pre massage and the post massage was scored every 15 seconds. Piglets which missed milk ejection, posture changing of the sow and whether the nursing involve milk ejection were noted. A sum of fighting and screaming piglets in the pre massage and the post massage was calculated. A higher sum of fighting and screaming piglets correlated with a higher proportion of non-nutritive nursing (P<0.001) as well as with a higher proportion of sow posture changing in the pre massage (P<0.01). However, a higher sum of fighting and screaming piglets did not increase the probability of sow posture changing in the post massage. The results show a positive correlation between the litter size and the sum of fighting and screaming piglets in the...
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Individual differences in maternal behavior (maternal style) of mammals
Leszkowová, Iva ; Špinka, Marek (advisor) ; Polák, Jakub (referee)
The expression "maternal style" in the wider sense serves to describe the interspecies interindividual and intraindividual, variability in the maternal care. In the narrow sense it is used only to designate permanent variability in the maternal behaviour among different mothers of the same species. The concept of the maternal style is based on a well-documented fact, that individual parts of maternal behaviour correlate with one another and this mutual bond enables to describe the varied repertoire of the mothers' behaviour by a few dimensions, such as e.g. protectiveness, restrictive, rejection and laissez-faire. Maternal style of primates was described in a wide range (e.g. Berman, 1990; Fairbanks, 1996). Up to today the existence of maternal style has been confirmed also with some rodents (guinea-pig: Albers, 1999; mouse: Benus a Rondigs, 1996), domestic animals (pig: e.g. Špinka et al., 2000; sheep: Dwyer a Lawrence, 2010; goat: O'Brien, 1984) and predators (dog: Wilsson, 1984). KEYWORDS : Maternal style, Maternal behavior, Individual differences, Parent-offspring conflict, Protectiveness, Rejection
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The Evaluation of Reproduction in Bactrian Camels (Camelus bactrianus) and the Possibilities of Using Non-invasive Methods for Detection of Heat and Pregnancy
Fedorova, Tamara ; Lukešová, Daniela (advisor) ; Jiří, Jiří (referee)
Camels are important husbandry animals which are also often bred in zoological gardens. Unfortunately, camels in European zoos are not usually trained and pregnancy diagnosis in a half-tamed camel is very difficult. Moreover, information of the maternal behaviour of camels is limited. This thesis reviewed current knowledge on camel husbandry, reproduction and behaviour and aimed to 1) examine non-invasive methods of heat and pregnancy diagnosis from urine and saliva in camels kept in zoological gardens; 2) explore their maternal and suckling behaviour; 3) describe experiences with artificial rearing of camel calves. The research into non-invasive pregnancy diagnosis was carried out from 2010 to 2012. Urine from 14 camel females kept in four European zoological gardens was collected and tested using two chemical tests -- the Cuboni reaction and barium chloride test. The Cuboni reaction was significantly (p < 0.01) affected by the pregnancy status of female camels, and its accuracy increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the period leading up to parturition. The barium chloride test did not provide reliable results. Next, the saliva of five adult female camels was sampled for more than one year and concentrations of progesterone (P4) and oestradiol (E2) were measured. The concentrations of P4 (n = 312) and E2 (n = 310) were both significantly (p < 0.0001) affected by the pregnancy status of the animals. Maternal and suckling behaviour was observed from 2003 to 2009 in six zoological gardens, and the presented study includes partial data from this period. Allosuckling (i.e. when a female nurses a non-filial offspring) was described for the first time in camels and it represented 8.58% of all suckling bouts. The non-filial calves suckled more often in the lateral position and preferably joined the filial calf when suckling, so the results support the 'milk theft' hypothesis (stealing of milk) as a main cause of this behaviour. Finally, calf rearing in the Prague zoological garden was summarised and two camel calves were successfully artificially reared. This PhD thesis concluded that 1) the Cuboni reaction with urine and salivary P4 and E2 measurements are suitable methods for pregnancy diagnosis in half-tamed female camels; 2) allosuckling is relatively common in captive Bactrian camels; 3) the artificial rearing of camel calves with a calf milk replacer can be successful.
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