What is a social bond and give examples
Mutual, affectionate, emotional attachment between 2 individuals that is relatively long lasting and survives temporary seperations - talking about friendships
ex. affiliative behaviour: allogrooming, resting in contact, play, synchronized activities, greeting following temporary seperation
How do social bonds impact physiology?
Physiological effects involved with social bonds moderating HPA Axis
* Reductions in heart rate
* Reduction in cortisol, noradrenaline
* Improved immune functioning
* Cardiac function
* Endorphin release
What did the study in primates discover in friendships?
- Fitness benefits including increased survival rates, including infants
- Reproductive success
- Friendship based on similarity in personalities
Breaking social bonds in humans results in…
Behavioural response first then physiological response
In animals, seperation is a bond breakage but motivation to reunite which causes…
- Locomotion
- Vocalization
- Depression
Benefit: noise and locomotion to bring them back
Risk: can attract predators, increase release of cortisol, effect on immune function and socialization
What are the responses to short-term parent-young seperation?
Response differs depending on species:
* Rabbits: not stressed (altricial)
* Lambs: very stressed (precocial)
What are the responses to long-term separation?
Note that says link cortisol to immunity on exam important
- May adapt
- May show grief: unresponsiveness, listlessness, headhanging, sunken eyes, cognitive impairment, depressed immunity
- Shown by humans, elephants, primates, geese, whales
How do Rheas (a big bird) and geese/pigeons differ in parental offspring care?
- Father is responsible for care (Rhea)
- Both genders care for young (geese and pigeons)
What were the results for the strength of bond between calf and mother?
Seperated by fence but allowed access (head and neck of calf remain in contact (barrier) but cow could touch and hear)
* bond with calf remained
Seperated by fence but strange calf suckles (cow hobbled, calf behind barrier and strange calf suckled, could still head and see her calf)
* bond with own calf remained
Separated by fence, but stranged calf suckles (own calf removed, new calf suckles)
* formed a new bond with new calf, no bond with own calf
How is litter size in piglets related to strength of attachment?
Inversely related
* the more babies there are the weaker the bond is
True or false: there is no difference in aggression between mothers and daughters compared to unrelated cattle
False - there is less aggression
Give two examples of how siblings show bonds.
- Lambs housed with twins showed less distress when separated from ewe
- Litter size likely affects strength of bond between siblings (negative relationship - more siblings = weaker bonds)
Give four examples of friendships in animals.
- Primates - friends can reduce depression and improve health under bond breakage
- Communal nesting in pigs
- Allowing unrelated animals to suckle
- allowgrooming in horses
In nature why do bonds break?
- death
- separated from pack
- getting kicked out of the herd
- weaning
What are some natural weaning techniques?
- Frequency of suckling reduced
- Aggression
- Mother walks away
- Milk volume reduces
What does it mean when an animal leaves their natal group?
Animals moving from their birth group to their new breeding or reproductive groups - if moving a far distance, bonds with original group break (in horses - between 1 and 4 years)
What are other permanent separations that cause broken bonds?
- Sale
- Division of growing group numbers
- Slaughter
- Removal of sick animals
What are some other temporary separations that cause broken bonds?
- Breeding
- Health checks
- Foot care
- Horseback riding
- Grooming
How does separation distress cause permanent physiological effects?
- Permanent changes to corticotrophin releasing hormone gene expression
- Higher levels of CRH and proliferation of the CRH receptors
- Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis becomes more sensitive
Can dogs develop an understanding if separations happen repeatedly and are not traumatic?
Maybe
What is a stressor in terms of moving animals from one group to another?
- Redevelopment of dominance - aggression (cost for immune function, production)
- New and unfamiliar individuals or isolation
- CHanges in group size
- New location
- Changes in environment
- Breaking of bonds
What changes happen after early weaning that cause more stress?
- Breaking bond with mother-offspring
- removes the ability of the mother to teach the young specific things
- Abrupt change in diet
- No allowance for suckling behaviour (comfort)
Substitutions for reducing stress
- Teat for non-nutritive suckling
- Handling of goats
- No auditory stimuli of dam (makes it worse)
- Music for young chicks
- Mirror for chicks and cattle
What are the genetic differences between dairy and beef cattle?
Dairy cattle
* young removed within 24 hours (weaned from mother at this time)
* less distressed by calf separation than beef
* more tolerant to adopting other calves
Beef cattle
weaning in beef cattle is 4-6 months
* extensicve management
* strong bonds between mother and young
* preference to rear own calf
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