Claudio Fantini - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
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Papers by Claudio Fantini
Frontiers in Bioscience, 2012
Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2006
In Italy, which is rabies-free,
Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2009
Behaviour, 2005
Seventy-four healthy mixed-breed dogs were studied collecting behavioural data by means of 'focal... more Seventy-four healthy mixed-breed dogs were studied collecting behavioural data by means of 'focal animal sampling' and 'all occurrences' methods; the ethogram utilised consisted of more than 100 behavioural patterns. All dogs were taken outside the shelter for a walk to analyse their reaction to a novel environment. In addition, three faecal samples were collected from each dog on three consecutive days during daily routine, to measure the levels of cortisol metabolites (CM) to evaluate adrenocortical activity. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified five primary factors: 'subordination/aggressiveness', 'intraspecific dominance-activity', 'anxiety-sociability towards dogs', 'playfulness' and 'sociability towards humans'. Dogs that showed a confident-independent temperament in a familiar context (within the shelter), showed fear in novel situations (outside the shelter). Despite the absence of a proper control we hypothesise that the stress levels were low both behaviourally and physiologically: neither stereotypies nor inactivity and lack of interest in the surrounding environment was observed, and the median CM concentration was moderately low. Lower concentrations of faecal CM were recorded in dogs with a temperament 'sociable to human beings' which were also associated with a longer stay in the shelter.
Animal Behaviour, 2007
In social species, dominance relationships and access to food resources are often affected by asy... more In social species, dominance relationships and access to food resources are often affected by asymmetries in resource-holding potential (RHP) between competitors of different ageesex classes with males usually being dominant and feeding first, followed by females and then juveniles. In this study we investigated how variables such as sex and age affected dominance rank and feeding order in a social group of feral domestic cats, Felis silvestris catus, a sexually dimorphic species in which males are larger than females and do not take part in parental care. Intersexual dominance relationships varied depending on the competitive context: males occupied top rank positions away from food, whereas females increased in rank at the expense of males in a feeding context. Around the age of 4e6 months, kittens were significantly more likely than adults of both sexes to be the first to feed, indicating that they received a certain level of tolerance. These results provide support for game-theory models predicting conflict outcome in favour of the smaller competitor when asymmetries in both the value of winning and in the cost of winning inappropriately may compensate for the smaller competitor's lower RHP. It is suggested that the results are not an artifact of domestication: unlike male lions, Panthera leo, which usually dominate both females and cubs at kills, male domestic cats may value the food less than females and juveniles, because they do not need to maintain constantly a peak physical condition to defend a group of females and protect offspring from infanticide.
Frontiers in Bioscience, 2012
Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2006
In Italy, which is rabies-free,
Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2009
Behaviour, 2005
Seventy-four healthy mixed-breed dogs were studied collecting behavioural data by means of 'focal... more Seventy-four healthy mixed-breed dogs were studied collecting behavioural data by means of 'focal animal sampling' and 'all occurrences' methods; the ethogram utilised consisted of more than 100 behavioural patterns. All dogs were taken outside the shelter for a walk to analyse their reaction to a novel environment. In addition, three faecal samples were collected from each dog on three consecutive days during daily routine, to measure the levels of cortisol metabolites (CM) to evaluate adrenocortical activity. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified five primary factors: 'subordination/aggressiveness', 'intraspecific dominance-activity', 'anxiety-sociability towards dogs', 'playfulness' and 'sociability towards humans'. Dogs that showed a confident-independent temperament in a familiar context (within the shelter), showed fear in novel situations (outside the shelter). Despite the absence of a proper control we hypothesise that the stress levels were low both behaviourally and physiologically: neither stereotypies nor inactivity and lack of interest in the surrounding environment was observed, and the median CM concentration was moderately low. Lower concentrations of faecal CM were recorded in dogs with a temperament 'sociable to human beings' which were also associated with a longer stay in the shelter.
Animal Behaviour, 2007
In social species, dominance relationships and access to food resources are often affected by asy... more In social species, dominance relationships and access to food resources are often affected by asymmetries in resource-holding potential (RHP) between competitors of different ageesex classes with males usually being dominant and feeding first, followed by females and then juveniles. In this study we investigated how variables such as sex and age affected dominance rank and feeding order in a social group of feral domestic cats, Felis silvestris catus, a sexually dimorphic species in which males are larger than females and do not take part in parental care. Intersexual dominance relationships varied depending on the competitive context: males occupied top rank positions away from food, whereas females increased in rank at the expense of males in a feeding context. Around the age of 4e6 months, kittens were significantly more likely than adults of both sexes to be the first to feed, indicating that they received a certain level of tolerance. These results provide support for game-theory models predicting conflict outcome in favour of the smaller competitor when asymmetries in both the value of winning and in the cost of winning inappropriately may compensate for the smaller competitor's lower RHP. It is suggested that the results are not an artifact of domestication: unlike male lions, Panthera leo, which usually dominate both females and cubs at kills, male domestic cats may value the food less than females and juveniles, because they do not need to maintain constantly a peak physical condition to defend a group of females and protect offspring from infanticide.