Dog-human vocal interactions match dogs' sensory-motor tuning.

Within species, vocal and auditory systems presumably coevolved to converge on a critical temporal acoustic structure that can be best produced and perceived. While dogs cannot produce articulated sounds, they respond to speech, raising the question as to whether this heterospecific receptive ability could be shaped by exposure to speech or remains bounded by their own sensorimotor capacity. Using acoustic analyses of dog vocalisations, we show that their main production rhythm is slower than the dominant (syllabic) speech rate, and that human-dog-directed speech falls halfway in between. Comparative exploration of neural (electroencephalography) and behavioural responses to speech reveals that comprehension in dogs relies on a slower speech rhythm tracking (delta) than humans' (theta), even though dogs are equally sensitive to speech content and prosody. Thus, the dog audio-motor tuning differs from humans', and we hypothesise that humans may adjust their speech rate to this shared temporal channel as means to improve communication efficacy.

Exploring horses' (Equus caballus) gaze and asymmetric ear position in relation to human attentional cues.

Studies have shown that horses are sensitive to human attentional cues. Also, there is some evidence that they might be able to infer the knowledge state of a human and communicate intentionally with us. However, this ability is not fully characterized and certain behaviors, like gaze, asymmetric ears position or vocalizations, which could work as attention-getting behaviors, have been scarcely studied in this context. The aim of the present study was to assess whether horses' gaze toward a person, asymmetric ears position and vocalizations are subject to audience effects and adjust to human attentional cues, which would suggest a communicative function. For this purpose, we adapted a protocol used with domestic dogs [Kaminski et al. 2017] and observed horses' spontaneous behavior (gaze, asymmetric ears position and vocalizations) in the presence of a human holding and not holding food in an attentive position (facing the horse with open eyes) and in a non-attentive position (with her back turned towards the horse). We found significant evidence of horses being sensitive to human attentional cues (reflected in the horses' gaze duration and asymmetric position of the ears), but not of intentional communication towards humans.

Behavioral and emotional co-modulation during dog-owner interaction measured by heart rate variability and activity.

Behavioral and physiological synchrony facilitate emotional closeness in attachment relationships. The aim of this pseudorandomized cross-over study was to investigate the emotional and physiological link, designated as co-modulation, between dogs and their owners. We measured the heart rate variability (HRV) and physical activity of dogs belonging to co-operative breeds (n = 29) and their owners during resting baselines and positive interaction tasks (Stroking, Training, Sniffing, Playing) and collected survey data on owner temperament and dog-owner relationship. Although overall HRV and activity correlated between dogs and their owners across tasks, task-specific analyses showed that HRV of dogs and owners correlated during free behaving (Pre- and Post-Baseline), whereas the activity of dogs and owners correlated during predefined interaction tasks (Stroking and Playing). Dog overall HRV was the only predictive factor for owner overall HRV, while dog height, ownership duration, owner negative affectivity, and dog-owner interaction scale predicted dog overall HRV. Thus, the characteristics of dog, owner, and the relationship modified the HRV responses in dog-owner dyads. The physiology and behavior of dogs belonging to co-operative breeds and their owners were therefore co-modulated, demonstrating physiological and emotional connection comparable to those found in attachment relationships between humans.

On your terms or mine: pigs' response to imposed gentle tactile contact vs. free form interaction with a familiar human.

Positive human-animal interactions (HAIs) can be intrinsically rewarding and facilitate positive human-animal relationships. However, HAI paradigms vary across studies, and the influence of different interaction paradigms on the animal's response has been overlooked. We compared the behavioural responses of pigs (n = 28) individually tested with two types of gentle tactile interactions with a familiar human: 'free form (FF)' where the pig could voluntarily approach and interact as they normally would, and 'imposed contact (IC)' where the human imposed tactile contact on the pig according to a standardised protocol. Pigs did not differ in their level of engagement with the human between the two types of interactions. However, they differed in their behaviour as they explored the pen more during the FF test, while they emitted more low-pitched vocalisations (grunts) during the IC test. These differences can likely be imputed to the IC test differing to the pigs' habituation to human contact, which could have evoked greater attention to the human or triggered frustration due to violation of expectation. These findings highlight the influence of the predictability of the interaction or level of agency provided to the animal in HAI tests and relation to their previous experience of interacting.

Transparency and adaptability aid in realigning the complexity of objectives, approaches, and systems in human-wildlife coexistence research.

Human-wildlife interactions are situated within dynamic systems, characterized by social and ecological complexity. Human-wildlife coexistence research, however, typically focuses on one component of these systems in isolation. We inadvertently followed this norm while carrying out semi-structured interviews of livestock-owners in Northern Tanzania. As existing literature highlighted that this area was a hotspot for livestock depredation, our research questions focused on human interactions with carnivores. Interestingly, almost three quarters (72%, n = 72 of 100) of study participants independently raised African elephants (Loxodonta africana) as presenting the greatest impediments to coexistence. By centering our interviews on carnivores, we omitted vital components of this complex system. To counteract the effects of this oversimplification, we changed our intended analytical process after data collection. Instead of conducting a quantitative analysis of rates of livestock depredation and perceptions of risk posed by a suite of sympatric carnivores, we applied a grounded theory approach to assess interactions across multiple dimensions of this complex system. Through this transparent effort to realign our approaches with the complexity of the study system, we highlight the importance of designing research approaches that effectively reflect the complexities inherent to human-wildlife coexistence.

Human-animal interaction and One Health: establishment and validation of the Brazilian version of the Animal Empathy Scale.

OBJECTIVE: To design and validate a Brazilian version of the Animal Empathy Scale, based on the existing Portuguese version. METHODS: Content validity assessment was performed by expert judges, and the adapted scale was administered to a sample of 386 participants. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. RESULTS: The bifactorial profile of the scale remained consistent, comprising Empathic Concern for Animals (Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients: 0.75) and Emotional Attachment with Animals (Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients: 0.79). Considering the One Health framework, collaborative, multidisciplinary, and intersectoral approaches are essential for achieving optimal health conditions for people, animals, and the environment given their intricate interconnections. Empathy plays a crucial role in promoting proximity between humans and animals, fostering positive connections that encourage biodiversity conservation. CONCLUSION: The 13 statements were retained, confirming the validity of the animal empathy scale for use in Brazil, and a Brazilian version of the Animal Empathy Scale was established.

Effects of human-animal interaction on salivary and urinary oxytocin in children and dogs.

Oxytocin pathways are hypothesized to play important roles in human-animal interactions and may contribute to some benefits of these interspecific social relationships. We explored the effects of naturalistic interactions between children and dogs on oxytocin release in both species, as well as associations between methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTRm), social behavior, and oxytocin response in this context. Children (N = 55) participated in a within-subjects design involving a) interaction with their pet dog, b) interaction with an unfamiliar dog, and c) a nonsocial control condition (solitary play). We used immunoassays to measure salivary and urinary oxytocin in both the children and dogs, behavioral coding to characterize dog-child interactions, and bisulfite sequencing to quantify methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (N = 32 children). Child salivary oxytocin decreased moderately across time in all conditions, but the extent of this effect varied between conditions, with greater oxytocin output during interactions with dogs than the control condition. In the pet dog condition, children's salivary oxytocin response was positively associated with the duration of visual co-orientation between the child and dog. Child urinary oxytocin did not deviate substantially from baseline in any condition. Children with higher levels of OXTRm had greater oxytocin output during interactions with their pet dogs, but lower oxytocin output in the control condition, and engaged in lower levels of affectionate interaction with dogs across conditions. Children's pet dogs exhibited increases in salivary oxytocin, but we observed the opposite pattern in the unfamiliar dog, who exhibited decreases in both urinary and salivary oxytocin on average. Collectively, our results support the hypothesis that oxytocin pathways may shape and respond to social interactions between children and dogs, highlighting an important role for companion animals in child development.

Brain and heart activity during interactions with pet dogs: A portable electroencephalogram and heart rate variability study.

Dog ownership has been linked to numerous benefits to human health and wellbeing. However, due to the lack of previous research on changes to brain activity during interactions with pet dogs, the underlying psychophysiological mechanisms are still unclear. The aim of the present study was to examine changes in heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and electroencephalogram (EEG) power during interactions between dog owners and their pet dog. Fifty healthy adult dog owners completed baseline psychological measures and pet attachment scales. Subjective units of relaxation (SUR) as well as continuous EEG, HR, and HRV via portable devices were measured during five experimental conditions (baseline resting, relaxation-induction exercise, patting a toy dog, real dog present, and patting a real dog) in participants' homes. SUR was higher in all experimental conditions than at baseline. SUR was also higher during dog interaction than when the dog was present with no interaction. However, SUR during dog interaction was not significantly different from the toy dog and relaxation induction condition. Higher delta, theta, alpha, beta power and HR were found during dog interaction than all other conditions. Higher HRV was found during dog interaction compared to baseline, patting a toy dog, and relaxation-induction exercise, but not significantly different from the real dog present only condition. Lastly, overall HR correlated with psychological measures. Overall, the results show that there are significant changes in brain and heart activity when humans interact with pet dogs, consistent with increases in relaxation and focussed attention. These findings are relevant to understanding the potential mechanisms for health benefits associated with pets.

Remote islands as natural laboratories: human-food association increases attraction to humans and novelty exploration in a seabird.

Increased attraction to humans and their objects often arises after repeated and positive human-wildlife encounters (e.g. food provided in tourist settings). The causes of this 'over-attraction', which may result from a learned association between humans and food, are still poorly studied in wild animals. Understanding the influence of humans on animals' responses is yet crucial to prevent negative effects (e.g. aggression). We presented three novel objects to two groups of free-ranging brown skuas (Catharacta antarctica ssp. lonnbergi) in the remote sub-Antarctic, where their habitats show no or minimal human disturbance. Skuas in one group (Verte) had previously participated in repeated food-rewarded behavioural and cognitive tasks with a human experimenter; skuas in the other group (Ratmanoff) had never done so. Objects consisted of (i) one natural-food-resembling object (plastic fish), (ii) one anthropogenic food object (real cake slice), and (iii) one anthropogenic non-food object (yellow glove). Verte group skuas approached the human experimenter and pecked significantly more and sooner at novel objects. Human-food association may have thus resulted in increased attraction to humans and novelty exploration in previously naive brown skuas, making this species a useful model for investigating the consequences of experience with humans on wildlife behaviour.

Pet your cat, walk your dog: The spillover effects of morning quality time with pets on outcomes during and after the workday.

For decades, psychologists have explored dynamics within the realm of human-animal interaction. Organizational psychologists are no different; research has found that exchanges with pets and other animals have the potential to influence important work outcomes, such as performance, well-being, and satisfaction. Relatively little is understood, however, regarding the potential spillover effects of human-animal interaction from the non-work to work context. To address this gap in the literature, the present research-synthesising Broaden and Build Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory-explores the daily spillover effects of morning quality time with pets on affective, behavioural, and cognitive outcomes for employees, both during and after the workday. It is also suggested that openness to experience may act as a cross-level moderator for these daily relationships. An occupationally heterogenous daily diary sample of employed pet owners from the United Kingdom (NLevel 1 = 405, NLevel 2 = 81) was used to test these relationships. Using a mixed effects modelling approach, it was revealed that morning quality time with pets was associated with reduced Negative Affect (NA) during the workday, and reduced incivility and withdrawal upon returning home from work. Moreover, higher levels of trait openness to experience strengthened the negative relationships between daily morning quality time with pets and daily workday NA and afterwork incivility. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Co-cultures: exploring interspecies culture among humans and other animals.

The concept of 'co-culture' is introduced as a novel framework for understanding the mutual cultural evolution between animal species, including, but not only, humans. It explores the dynamics of interspecies interactions, particularly in how different species influence each other's behavioural and cognitive adaptations. Various instances of interspecies cultural exchange are highlighted, such as the acquisition of medicinal plants from animals resulting in a shared medicinal culture, adaptive behaviours of urban wildlife, and cooperative behaviours between animal species. Co-culture challenges the notion of species-specific culture, underscoring the complexity and interconnectedness of human and animal societies, and between animal societies. Further research into co-culture is advocating and emphasising its implications for conservation, urban planning, and a deeper understanding of animal cognition and behaviour.

Early human contact and housing for pigs - part 1: responses to humans, novelty and isolation.

The development of fear and stress responses in animals can be influenced by early life experiences, including interactions with humans, maternal care, and the physical surroundings. This paper is the first of three reporting on a large experiment examining the effects of the early housing environment and early positive human contact on stress resilience in pigs. This first paper reports on the responses of pigs to humans, novelty, and social isolation. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, 48 litters of pigs were reared in either a conventional farrowing crate (FC) where the sow was confined or a loose farrowing pen (LP; PigSAFE pen) which was larger, more physically complex and allowed the sow to move freely throughout the farrowing and lactation period. Piglets were provided with either routine contact from stockpeople (C), or routine contact plus regular opportunities for positive human contact (+HC) involving 5 min of scratching, patting and stroking imposed to the litter 5 days/week from 0-4 weeks of age. The positive handling treatment was highly effective in reducing piglets' fear of humans, based on +HC piglets showing greater approach and less avoidance of an unfamiliar person at 3 weeks of age. There was evidence that this reduction in fear of humans lasted well beyond when the treatment was applied (lactation), with +HC pigs showing greater approach and less avoidance of humans in tests at 6, 9 and 14 weeks of age. The +HC treatment also reduced piglets' fear of a novel object at 3 weeks of age, and for pigs in FC, the cortisol response after social isolation at 7 weeks of age. Rearing in FC compared to LP reduced piglets' fear of novelty at 3 weeks of age, as well as their vocalisations and cortisol response to isolation at 7 weeks of age. The FC pigs showed greater approach and less avoidance of humans compared to LP pigs at 3, 4 and 6 weeks of age, but not at 9 and 14 weeks of age. These results show that positive handling early in life can reduce pigs' fear of humans, fear of novelty and physiological stress response to social isolation. The LP pigs were reared in a more isolated environment with less overall contact with stockpeople and other pigs, which may have increased their fear responses to humans and novel situations, suggesting that different housing systems can modulate these pigs' responses.

Behavioural synchronisation between different groups of dogs and wolves and their owners/handlers: Exploring the effect of breed and human interaction.

Dogs have previously been shown to synchronise their behaviour with their owner and the aim of this study was to test the effect of immediate interactions, breed, and the effects of domestication. The behavioural synchronisation test was conducted in outdoor enclosures and consisted of 30 s where the owner/handler was walking and 30 s of standing still. Three studies were conducted to explore the effect of immediate interaction (study A), the effect of breed group (study B), and the effect of domestication (study C). In study A, a group of twenty companion dogs of various breeds were tested after three different human interaction treatments: Ignore, Pet, and Play. The results showed that dogs adjusted their movement pattern to align with their owner's actions regardless of treatment. Furthermore, exploration, eye contact, and movement were all influenced by the owners moving pattern, and exploration also decreased after the Play treatment. In study B, the synchronisation test was performed after the Ignore treatment on three groups: 24 dogs of ancient dog breeds, 17 solitary hunting dogs, and 20 companion dogs (data from study A). Irrespective of the group, all dogs synchronised their moving behaviour with their owner. In addition, human walking positively influenced eye contact behaviour while simultaneously decreasing exploration behaviour. In study C, a group of six socialised pack-living wolves and six similarly socialised pack-living dogs were tested after the Ignore treatment. Interestingly, these animals did not alter their moving behaviour in response to their handler. In conclusion, dogs living together with humans synchronise with their owner's moving behaviour, while wolves and dogs living in packs do not. Hence, the degree of interspecies behavioural synchronisation may be influenced by the extent to which the dogs are immersed in everyday life with humans.

Biodiversity conservation, human-animal interactions, and zootherapy in ecological knowledge of Indonesian Healers.

We examined the entanglement of biodiversity conservation, human-animal interactions, zootherapy, and local beliefs among Sumatran Healers and their local community by completing an ethnography of 43 Indigenous Healers across 8 tribes in Bengkulu Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Data collection tools were interviews, observations, videos, photographs, and a researcher journal. Of the 43 Healers, 30 used animals and mentioned 62 species. Of the animals identified, the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List lists 34% (n = 21) as endangered, decreasing, or vulnerable, including Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus), and Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). Of the 30 Healers using animals, 50% (n = 15) practiced healing with at least one endangered, decreasing, or vulnerable animal. We defined 3 personas: Healer self-persona, Healer-imposed persona, and community-imposed persona. A persona represented a group's opinions and sentiments related to Healers killing animals for medicinal purposes. Using an iterative data analysis process, we grouped the data across the 3 personas into 5 themes: ease of killing and preparing animals, emotions related to killing animals, animal value, relationship to religion, and Healers are tricksters. The complexity of merging the identities of Healers and the community within an actor-network embodies the relationality of actions, interactions, and feelings among Healers, between Healers and animals, and between Healers and the community. Conservationists should be cognizant of Healers' medicinal use of animals, views of human-animal interactions, and zootherapy from all social and emotional perspectives. The data led to defining Indigenous Healer ecological knowledge components of zootherapy, human-animal interactions, and biodiversity conservation.

Conservación de la biodiversidad, interacciones humano­fauna y zooterapia dentro del conocimiento ecológico de los curanderos indonesios Resumen Analizamos la complejidad de la conservación de la biodiversidad, las interacciones humano­fauna, la zooterapia y las creencias locales de los curanderos y su comunidad local mediante una etnografía de 43 curanderos indígenas de ocho tribus en la provincia de Bengkulu en Sumatra, Indonesia. Usamos entrevistas, observaciones, videos, fotografías y una bitácora de investigador como herramientas de recolección de datos. De los 43 curanderos, 30 usaban animales y mencionaron 62 especies. El 34% (n = 21) de los animales identificados están catalogados como en peligro, en disminución o vulnerables en la Lista Roja de la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, incluidos el tigre de Sumatra (Panthera tigris sumatrae), el elefante de Sumatra (Elephas maximus sumatranus) y el rinoceronte de Sumatra (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). De los 30 curanderos que usan animales, el 50% (n = 15) practica la sanación con al menos una especie en peligro, en disminución o vulnerable. Definimos tres percepciones: autopercepción de curandero, percepción impuesta de curandero y percepción impuesta de comunidad. Cada percepción representó las opiniones y sentimientos de un grupo con respecto a la matanza de animales por cuestiones medicinales. Usamos un proceso de análisis de datos repetitivos para agrupar la información de las tres percepciones en tres temas: facilidad para matar y preparar animales, emociones relacionadas con matar animales, valor del animal, relación con la religión y los curanderos son estafadores. La complejidad de combinar las identidades de los curanderos dentro de una red de actores representa cómo se relacionan las acciones, interacciones y sentimientos dentro de la comunidad de curanderos, entre los curanderos y los animales y entre los curanderos y la comunidad. Los conservacionistas deben ser conscientes desde todas las perspectivas sociales y emocionales del uso medicinal que los curanderos dan a los animales, las percepciones sobre las interacciones humano­fauna y la zooterapia. Esta información nos llevó a definir los componentes del conocimiento ecológico de los curanderos indígenas en materia de zooterapia, interacciones humano­fauna y conservación de la biodiversidad.

Keeper effect: Animals are more active in the presence of their caretakers.

Zookeepers are the primary caretakers of animals, providing daily care through frequent and close interactions. From the animal's perspective, most of these daily interactions are likely to have positive outcomes. With consistent and reliable interactions, a human-animal relationship is expected to develop. Our aim of this study was to investigate if the presence of the primary keeper in the public viewing area of zoo exhibits impacts the behavior of animals. We observed the behavior of 15 individuals of six species in the presence and absence of their primary keeper. Overall, we observed animals being more active in their keeper's presence than when the keeper was not present. When we considered if the keeper was nearby around times of offered opportunities to animals (e.g., feeding, enrichment, and training), our results showed that animals were equally as active when the keeper was present before an opportunity and when no opportunity was offered. These equal activity levels imply that the keeper is a cue for a forthcoming event to the animals, which reflects anticipatory behavior. Overall, we demonstrate that keeper presence is an environmental context in which animals behave differently than in keeper absence.

Glucocorticoid response to naturalistic interactions between children and dogs.

Although research has shown that pets appear to provide certain types of social support to children, little is known about the physiological bases of these effects, especially in naturalistic contexts. In this study, we investigated the effect of free-form interactions between children (ages 8-10 years) and dogs on salivary cortisol concentrations in both species. We further investigated the role of the child-dog relationship by comparing interactions with the child's pet dog to interactions with an unfamiliar dog or a nonsocial control condition, and modeled associations between survey measures of the human-animal bond and children's physiological responses. In both children and dogs, salivary cortisol decreased from pre- to post-interaction; the effect was strongest for children interacting with an unfamiliar dog (compared to their pet dog) and for the pet dogs (compared to the unfamiliar dog). We found minimal evidence for associations between cortisol output and behaviors coded from video, but children scoring higher on survey measures of the human-animal bond exhibited the greatest reductions in cortisol when interacting with dogs. Self-reported loneliness was not related to cortisol or the human-animal bond, but measures of both loneliness and the human-animal bond were higher among children who participated after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, relative to those who participated before the pandemic. This study builds on previous work that investigated potential stress-buffering effects of human-animal interaction during explicit stressors and demonstrates important physiological correlates of naturalistic interactions between children and dogs, similar to those that occur in daily life.

Interactions with humans reduce the success of foraging for anthropogenic food by capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) in Brasília National Park, Brazil.

The progressive growth of urban environments has increasingly forced populations of nonhuman primates to coexist with humans in many cities, which has resulted in problems such as behavioral alterations, conflicts with humans, and threats to the health of the monkeys, due to their consumption of anthropogenic foodstuffs. These anthropogenic foods, which are rich in calories, are the principal driver of the proximity between humans and primates, even though the acquisition of these foods tends to be risky for the monkeys and involve a variety of challenges derived from specific features of the urban environment. The present study evaluated the success/risk relationship of foraging for anthropogenic food by tufted capuchins (Sapajus libidinosus) in Brasília National Park. The data were analyzed using a binary logistic regression, with the backward-stepwise Wald method, to investigate the factors related to the foraging success of the capuchins, considering variables such as their sex and age, the type of approach and its context, and interactions with humans. The capuchins were influenced by the anthropogenic context, which affected their foraging strategies and diet. Interactions with humans reduced the success of foraging for anthropogenic foods. Conflicts between humans and the capuchins were common, especially in the context of access to food. The capuchins thus preferred to access feeding resources directly, probably due to the reduced human interference, which resulted in greater foraging success for unattended food brought by park visitors and the raiding of trash cans. Based on the observed behavior patterns, a number of measures can be proposed to mitigate these conflicts. These recommendations include not bringing food into areas frequented by the capuchins, not reacting to approaching animals, and removing all trash generated during a visit. A cleaning team dedicated to the maintenance of the visitation area free of anthropogenic waste is also be recommended.

Still face in pet dogs (Canis familiaris).

Dogs are able to cooperate in reciprocal exchange with humans but little is known about the extent of these abilities (Range & Virányi, 2015). In the Still Face paradigm, infants reply to a sudden nonreciprocal facial expression with gaze aversion and an increase in re-engagement and distress behaviors (E. Tronick et al., 1978). We directly adapted this method; the dog's owner talked to the dog, then abruptly switched to a still, neutral face, maintaining eye contact. In Study 1 (N = 20), we found that dogs showed a significant decrease in the amount of looking at the owner in the Still Face phase, paralleling the results found in gaze aversion in infants, and they performed fewer pawing and vocalizations toward the person in the Still Face phase. In Study 2 (N = 60), we included one condition of continuous physical contact, and one condition that was a direct replication of the initial study without physical contact. Similar to human infants, we found a significant decrease in looking from the Interaction phase to the Still Face phase. However, in contrast to human infants, re-engagement and stress behaviors were higher in the Interaction phase than the Still Face phase. Looking and re-engagement behaviors differed based on the condition, with a smaller difference between phases in the Petting condition. These results suggest that dogs are capable of perceiving these small changes in human affect. However, unlike human infants, dogs seem to have greater expectations about physical interactions than verbal interactions, as they reacted more strongly to an Interaction phase without physical contact than the Still Face. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Cat behaviour in the secure base test: Comparison between owned and shelter animals.

The aim of the present study was to compare affiliative behaviours of owned and shelter cats directed to human in a novel environment after a brief temporary absence of the person. A sample of 20 owned and 20 shelter animals were individually tested in a Secure Base Test, with three 2-min episodes: 1) cat accompanied by a person who sits on the floor inside a circle, 2) the person leaves and the animal is left alone, 3) the person returns, and sits inside the circle again. Three categories were used for coding videotapes of experimental sessions: (1) inside circle, (2) allo-rubbing and (3) tail up. Shelter animals showed more proximity maintenance and affiliative signs with a person than owned animals. Our findings suggested similarities between the secure base effect in cats and in human children: cats seek proximity and maintain contact with a person, displaying affiliative signs to the person, especially after being left alone frightened by an unfamiliar environment.

Culturally determined interspecies communication between humans and honeyguides.

Species interactions that vary across environments can create geographical mosaics of genetic coevolution. However, traits mediating species interactions are sometimes culturally inherited. Here we show that traditions of interspecies communication between people and wild birds vary in a culturally determined geographical mosaic. Honey hunters in different parts of Africa use different calls to communicate with greater honeyguides (Indicator indicator) that lead them to bees' nests. We show experimentally that honeyguides in Tanzania and Mozambique discriminate among honey hunters' calls, responding more readily to local than to foreign calls. This was not explained by variation in sound transmission and instead suggests that honeyguides learn local human signals. We discuss the forces stabilizing and diversifying interspecies communication traditions, and the potential for cultural coevolution between species.