Animal Management Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Body Condition Scoring (BCS) is an important management tool that its implementation can bring improvement in farm, decrease incidence of disease and increase the level of farmer’s income. Additionally; body condition scoring can be used as an efficient tool for assessment of nutritional and health status of dairy cattle. To evaluate the BCS of every individual cows the amount of fatness and thinness of tail head ligament, hook bone, pin bone, short ribs, thurl ligaments, chine and rumps can be assessed. Directly observation and evaluation of BCS and using 3 dimensional cameras are two systems for assessing body condition score of dairy cattle. In both system evaluators give a score for fatness or thinness of every individuals range from 1 to 5 scores. Cows with BCS 1 are severely under conditioned, cows with BCS 2 are thin, cows with BCS 3 are moderate, cows with BCS 4 are fat and finally cows with BCS 5 are obese and over-conditioned which are prone to fatty syndrome of dairy cattle. Therefore; for maintaining health, improving reproduction/production and increasing level of incomes in the farm it is necessary to keep cows in recommended body condition score for each stages of lactation. During drying period and first stage of lactation BCS 3.5, in mid lactation BCS 2.75 to 3.25 and in late lactation BCS 3 are recommended. Maintaining dairy cattle in recommended BCS during different stages of lactation prevent from occurrence of metabolic diseases such as retained placenta, dystocia, milk fever, edema of udder, Mastitis, Metiritis, Ketosis, displaced abomasum and fatty liver in the dairy farms; subsequently reduction of diseases and improvement of animals’ health enhance the economic condition of dairy producers.

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- Animal reproduction, Animal Management

Gaushala management is a specialized profession requiring particular skills relating to the management of cow shelters or gaushalas, which are traditional and ancient Indian institutions that shelter old, unproductive and abandoned cows, The 1800 registered cow shelters in India have managers who are important stakeholders in the management of cows in these unique institutions. It is important to survey the routine management of these shelters and attitudes of the managers towards cow welfare to identify the constraints and welfare issues. We visited 54 shelters in six states of India for a face-to-face structured interview of the managers. Quantitative data collection included questions on demographics, routine management operations, protocols followed in the shelters and attitudes of the managers towards cow welfare. All shelters except one were managed by males, half of them were in the age range of 45–65 years, were university graduates or post-graduates, with 5–15 years shelter management experience, and with the majority having lived in rural areas for most of their lives. Each shelter housed a median of 232 cattle were housed, out of which 13 were lactating cows. The majority of managers vaccinated their animals against endemic diseases like foot and mouth disease, haemorrhagic septicaemia and black quarter (gangraena emphysematosa) and administered endo-and ectoparasiticidal treatments, however, hardly any screened the cattle for brucellosis and tuberculosis. Only 17% of the shelters had in house veterinarians and most cows died
of old age, with an annual mortality rate of 14%. The majority of the shelters allowed the cows to reproduce. Access to pasture was available in only 41% of the shelters, while most allowed some access to yards. Most (57%) had limited biosecurity measures, but 82% of the shelters disposed of the carcasses by deep burial on their own premises or through the municipality, with 18% disposing of them in open spaces or nearby creeks. About one half of the shelters maintained records of the protocols followed routinely. Charitable societies ran half of the shelters, mostly through public donations, with accounts audited regularly. Most managers thought that shelter cows’ welfare was important and that they should attempt to improve it. They were less in agreement that their knowledge of animal welfare was adequate. Local support, more moral than financial, was recognized more than government support. Managers perceived cow welfare as important from a religious perspective, citing the mother god and caring for abandoned animals as frequent themes in their definition of cow welfare. Caring for animals, mother and goddess were key elements in managers’ perception of animal welfare. The recommendations arising from this survey include that the shelter managers should be involved in the decision-making process for the welfare of cows in shelters,
which is vital for the sustainability of these unique institutions. Welfare could be improved by strict compliance with biosecurity measures and disease surveillance protocols, avoidance of unrestricted reproduction in cows and separation of males and females.

- by Catherine Schuetze
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- Jainism, Animal Welfare, Animal Husbandry, India
- by Michael Kozuh
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- Ancient History, Economic History, Assyriology, Mesopotamia History

Conflict over the management of outdoor cats has contributed to debate between animal welfare and wildlife advocates and stymied efforts to control outdoor cats. We distributed a mail survey to a random sample of participants in Trap-Neuter-Return programs for outdoor cats, Audubon Society members and the public across four counties in Florida (N = 1363) to identify differences between these stakeholders’ perceptions and support for the management of outdoor cats. We used a perception of risk framework to evaluate group differences in attitudes and beliefs about outdoor cats, perceptions of positive and nega- tive impacts, ecological risk perceptions, and support for management options. Multivariate Analysis of Variance results indicated significant differences between groups across all of our measured scales. Dis- criminant Function Analysis helped identify two distinct groups; explaining 79% and 21% of the variance between groups. Group membership was predicted by cat ownership, attitudes toward and beliefs about outdoor cats, perceived impacts, risk perceptions, and management attitudes. This research is the first to explore differences in cognitions and preferences related to outdoor cat management with three impor- tant stakeholder groups. To reduce response bias, our survey included both positive and negative impact items and neutral terminology. Our findings suggest that surveys, based solely on public opinions about outdoor cats, do not reflect the diversity of opinion of all relevant stakeholder groups.

Ayam broiler merupakan unggas yang secara genetik dapat tumbuh cepat dan efisien dalam penggunaan pakan, tetapi daya tahan terhadap penyakit rendah. Pada pemeliharaan ayam broiler selain harus diberikan pakan yang baik kualitasnya dan cukup jumlahnya, juga harus dilakukan pencegahan penyakit. Pemeliharaan ayam breeder farm harus dilakukan dengan program pencegahan penyakit yang ketat, teratur dan terarah. PT. Centralavian Pertiwi merupakan anak perusahaan PT. Charoen Pokphand Jaya Farm yang sudah terkenal dengan program pencegahan penyakitnya. Maka di lakukan Praktek Kerja Lapangan di PT. Centralavian Pertiwi farm I Sukajaya dengan tujuan untuk mengetahui tata laksana pemeliharaan ayam broiler terutama dalam hal manajemen vaksinasi yang dapat dilakukan untuk mencegah timbulnya penyakit, mencegah penyebaran penyakit serta mengetahui berbagai jenis penyakit yang dapat menyerang ayam broiler pembibit pada periode brooding. Manfaat dilaksanakannya Praktek Kerja Lapangan adalah agar mahasiswa memperoleh pengetahuan, menambah wawasan, ketrampilan dan dapat menerapkan teori tentang manajemen vaksinasi yang telah diperoleh pada saat perkuliahan sehingga dapat membandingkan dengan kenyataan yang ada di lapangan. 2 BAB II TINJAUAN PUSTAKA 2.1. Ayam Pembibit Ayam pembibit merupakan hasil genetik yang memiliki karakteristik ekonomis, pertumbuhan yang cepat sebagai penghasil telur tetas, konversi pakan rendah, dan daya tetasnya tinggi. Ayam pedaging adalah jenis ternak bersayap dari kelas aves yang telah didomestikasikan dan cara hidupnya diatur oleh manusia dengan tujuan untuk memberikan nilai ekonomis dalam bentuk daging (Yuwanta, 2004 dalam Adiguna, 2009). Ayam pedaging (broiler) memiliki banyak strain. Strain merupakan istilah untuk jenis ayam yang telah mengalami penyilangan dari bermacam -macam bangsa sehingga tercipta jenis ayam baru dengan nilai ekonomi produksi tinggi dan bersifat turun temurun (Santoso dan Sudaryani, 2011). Ayam broiler adalah ayam jantan atau betina yang umumnya dipanen pada umur 5-6 minggu dengan tujuan sebagai penghasil daging (Kartasudjana dan Suprijatna, 2006 dalam Faradis, 2009). Ayam broiler memiliki kelebihan dan kelemahan, kelebihannya adalah dagingnya empuk, ukuran badan besar, bentuk dada lebar, padat dan berisi, efisiensi terhadap pakan tinggi, sebagian dari pakan diubah menjadi daging dan pertambahan bobot badan sangat cepat. Sedangkan kelemahannya adalah memerlukan pemeliharaan secara intensif dan cermat, relatif lebih peka terhadap suatu infeksi penyakit dan sulit beradaptasi (Murtidjo, 1987 dalam Faradis, 2009). 3

- by putri yuniarti
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- Animal Science, Animal Behavior, Poultry Science, Animal Studies

The notion of standardization in pottery production has been used as an indicator of ceramic specialization. Yet, this notion and the assumptions behind it are still largely untested ethnographically. This paper attempts to identify some factors that affect the standardization of ceramic vessel shapes in Ticul, Yucatan, Mexico. A sample of 448 ethnographic vessels of three shapes were measured and analyzed statistically. Interpretation of these analyses within the ethnographic context of the workshop industry in Ticul provides insight into the factors associated with variability in dimensional uniformity as a function of market, technique, and the potter's own views of variability. In caution, we suggest that the coefficient of variation should not supplant the use of the standard deviation as an expression of standardization.

- by Dean E Arnold
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- Archaeology, Experimental Archaeology, Paleoanthropology, Geochemistry

We invite researchers to submit proposals to the session Animal and Plant Management in Prehistoric Hunter-Fisher-Gatherer Communities at the 28 th EAA conference in Budapest. The aim of this session is to challenge the conceptual dichotomy between the "Mesolithic" and "Neolithic", by focusing on animal and plant management in prehistoric hunter-fishergatherer communities. The shift from foraging to farming and animal husbandry is often narrated as a turning point where humanity's relationship with the environment was profoundly altered. Resource management is fundamental to concept of the Neolithic and further linked to aspects such as storage, surplus accumulation, and social complexity. Recent findings however show that human involvement with the environment was biologically, socially, and economically complex long before the transition to agriculture. Multiple archaeological records point towards the existence of various resource management practices among hunter-fisher-gatherers long before, and independent of, the Neolithization process. Rather than being just "ecologically adapted" Mesolithic foragers actively engaged with, intervened, transformed, and cultivated the flora and fauna in their local landscapes. Examples include introducing novel plants to their environments, transferring fish fry between rivers and lakes, altering habitats attract grazing animals by burning and weeding, and constructing permanent trapping systems for various fish species and deer species. We invite papers addressing this topic independent of geographical scope and spatial scale. Contributions may focus on specific methods, models, case studies or theoretical frameworks such as niche construction theory and multispecies archaeology.

- by Ivana Živaljević and +1
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- Human-Environment Relations, Animal Management

Usaha peternakan sapi perah di Indonesia didominasi oleh usaha ternak sapi perah skala kecil dan menengah. Menurut Erwidodo (1993) dalam Ratnawati (2002), usaha ternak sapi perah Indonesia memiliki komposisi peternak skala kecil (kurang dari 4 ekor sapi perah) mencapai 80 persen, peternak skala menengah (4 - 7 ekor sapi perah) mencapai 17 persen, dan peternak skala besar (lebih dari 7 ekor sapi perah) sebanyak 3 persen. Dengan rata-rata pemilikan sapi sebanyak 3 -5 ekor per peternak, tingkat efisiensi usahanya masih rendah. Jika skala kepemilikan ternak tersebut ditingkatkan menjadi 7 ekor per peternak, maka diharapkan akan dapat meningkatkan efisiensi usaha sekitar 30 persen (Swastika et aI., 2000).

- by muhammad yunus yunusuney
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- Animal Management

This study presents carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions for bone collagen and serially sampled hair from a large collection of South American camelids from two Early Intermediate Period (c. 200 BC to AD 800) sites (Huaca Gallinazo and Huaca Santa Clara) in the Virú Valley (north coast of Peru). The isotopic compositions of these camelids are consistent with plant isotopic compositions from coastal and low altitude settings, but not from high altitude environments, suggesting that at least some of these animals were raised locally. We present several methodological approaches with respect to the treatment of isotopic data from archaeological contexts, outlining quantitative approaches that can provide considerable insight into isotopic variation (within groups, within individuals, between groups, between individuals), as well as temporal variation in isotopic compositions in incrementally growing tissues. We contend that focusing explicitly on variation in animal life histories has the greatest potential with respect to better understanding human–animal interactions in the past. The results demonstrate a large amount of isotopic variability among individuals and an inconsistent amount of within-individual variation, with no consistent shift in the diet leading up to the time of death for a group of animals from a single ritual event. This result suggests that camelid husbandry in the Virú Valley was a small-scale activity, with groups of camelids being managed by families or other small social units. Animals were likely kept primarily in close association to human habitation sites and provided with a diverse array of fodder. These prolonged interactions, occurring at a limited spatial scale, would have allowed a high degree of mutual familiarity to develop between humans and animals. Isotopic compositions for late Middle Horizon (c. AD 1100) sacrificed llamas from Huaca Santa Clara are consistent with Early Intermediate Period camelids, suggesting temporal stability in this small-scale camelid management strategy on the coast, which was fundamentally different from camelid herding in the pastures of the Andean highlands. Isotopic analysis of prehistoric livestock has great potential with respect to better understanding animal husbandry practices and human–animal interactions in the broadest sense because the data provide insight into the ways in which animals lived, rather than the manner in which they died. The variation-centered methodologies outlined in this paper provide a framework with which to approach some of these issues, highlighting the significance of understanding variability in livestock life histories.

- by Paul Szpak
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- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Human-Animal Relations
- by Olanike Adeyemo
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- Food Safety, Animal Management

Animal welfare is a key issue for industries that use or impact upon animals. The accurate identification of welfare states is particularly relevant to the field of bioscience, where the 3Rs framework encourages refinement of experimental procedures involving animal models. The assessment and improvement of welfare states in animals is reliant on reliable and valid measurement tools. Behavioural measures (activity, attention, posture and vocalisation) are frequently used because they are immediate and non-invasive, however no single indicator can yield a complete picture of the internal state of an animal. Facial expressions are extensively studied in humans as a measure of psychological and emotional experiences but are infrequently used in animal studies, with the exception of emerging research on pain behaviour. In this review, we discuss current evidence for facial representations of underlying affective states, and how communicative or functional expressions can be useful withi...

- by Hannah Buchanan-Smith
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- Animal Behavior, Animal Welfare, Facial expression, Animal Behaviour

Main objective of this report is based on the precision dairy farming (PDF) management, introduction of Precision Dairy Farming Technologies (PDFT), advantageous point of using software for managing dairy operation, productivity, welfare, cost benefits of management tools. Using of Vel’Phone calving prediction and introducing Moocall device for predicting calving, process of adjusting the device, activation and how throughout the Wi-Fi it send text massages to the owners and dairy manager.

- by Mahdi Almas
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- Animal Science, Animal Husbandry, Animal Management

The welfare of elephants is an enormous challenge for zoos in terms of animal husbandry, financial cost and public perception. This chapter's aim is not to discuss whether elephants should be held in captivity: resolving this issue would involve sound data on the costs and benefits of keeping them in zoos, and reconciling the diverse ethical beliefs of different people. Instead, we review how animal welfare is assessed scientifically; discuss what is known about these various techniques for elephants; survey the evidence concerning population-level welfare of elephants in zoos; summarize the possible causes of reduced welfare amongst captive elephants; review the (disturbingly sparse) information that has been collated to test some of these ideas; and discuss what future work is needed to objectively evaluate the psychological welfare of zoo elephants.

*incidence = number of human cases*100000/population.</p

- by Tia Hermans
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- Microbiology, Epidemiology, Infectious disease epidemiology, Medical Microbiology

The Roman conquest of Britain caused major economic and cultural changes that affected Iron Age societies throughout the island. Patterns of change are visible already in the pre-Roman late Iron Age, when influences from the Continent started spreading to southern Britain. During the Roman period, the chronology, nature and extent of change were determined by settlement function, size and geographical location, with occasional preservation of Iron Age characters.
All these processes are well reflected in the zooarchaeology of the late Iron Age - Roman transition, when cattle exploitation gradually became predominant, in place of sheep herding. Influences on husbandry practices precede the invasion at Owlesbury (Hampshire), with cattle being brought to the site from a wider area and a slight increase in size for this species occurring in the pre-Roman late Iron Age (Minniti et al. 2014; Valenzuela-Lamas et al. in prep.). Changes following the actual conquest are much clearer and more widespread, although more commonly attested in the south-east of the island. A functional settlement hierarchy is established, with producer and consumer sites displaying distinctive evidence; biometrical studies of Heybridge and Colchester (Essex) make this clear, and also suggest that larger breeds were likely to have been imported from the Continent (King 1999; Albarella et al. 2008; Albarella with Pirnie and Viner in prep.). Other late Iron Age and Roman assemblages from central and south-eastern Britain also reveal the improvement of the main domesticates (Rizzetto et al. 2017), while stable isotope analyses suggest cattle were being moved through longer distances (Minniti et al. 2014; Rizzetto and Aiceti in prep.). All such changes resulted from the need to produce a surplus in order to fuel the Roman taxation cycle. Evidence for changes in the west and north of Britain is much weaker, with little livestock improvement and sheep maintaining an important role (Hammon 2011; Aniceti and Rizzetto in prep.). This could have been the result of a combination of cultural, logistical and environmental variables.
This brief review summarises the evidence from published and unpublished studies, providing a broad-brush picture of British animal husbandry before and after the Roman conquest.

- by Mauro Rizzetto
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- History, Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Post-Roman Britain

The sea separating Britain from mainland Europe has often been seen as a physical barrier to past communities, restricting the mobility of people and goods. At the same time, however, it represented a trade route and an actual link between the island and the Continent. In Roman times, this becomes clear in many respects, cultural, economic and socio-political alike; still, the island nature of Britain did affect the Romanisation of the province. Therefore, any interpretative approach that places Britain’s insularity within its schemes can potentially provide new insights into our understanding of the British past.
The spread of ‘Romanised’ practices of animal exploitation and the persistence of indigenous traditions can be used to evaluate the extent of Britain’s marginality within the Roman world-system. Typical Roman elements of animal food production included a major focus on cattle, as well as an overall standardisation of animal management. The zooarchaeological indicators for such elements, however, suggest a gradual diffusion emanating from the south-east; to some extent, the ‘island effect’ limited and delayed the advance of continental influences. The import of domestic breeds from the mainland has recently been suggested, and reflects a scale of operations which clearly embraced Britain within a wider economic system.
The aim of this research project is to assess and interpret similarities and differences between Britain and the Rhineland in the development of animal management during the post-Roman period. A number of studies on British sites have confirmed that, already by the 5th century, animal management had reverted to a generalised strategy typical of subsistence economies. The comparison between sites from both sides of the Channel will allow identifying the variables which affected early medieval animal exploitation. The practical and cultural implications of Britain’s insularity surely provide food for thought for interpreting the results of this and similar studies.

- by Mauro Rizzetto
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- History, Archaeology, Roman History, Zooarchaeology

- by Dean E Arnold
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- Archaeology, Anthropology, Andean Archaeology, Archaeological Science

*Temporal criterion = 180 days.</p

- by Tia Hermans
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- Microbiology, Epidemiology, Infectious disease epidemiology, Medical Microbiology

- by Jean-François Millaire
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- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Zooarchaeology

- by Hannah Buchanan-Smith
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- Animal Behavior, Animal Welfare, Facial expression, Animal Behaviour

The distinctive character of Roman husbandry practices in north-west Europe has long been acknowledged. Despite some limited regional differences, husbandry focussed on cattle, that were intensively exploited in agricultural works; the main aim was the production of an agricultural surplus, that fuelled the taxation cycle imposed by the Roman state. At the same time, standardised culling and butchery of the main domestic species favoured large-scale meat production and distribution. These outputs benefited greatly from the size and robustness improvement of domesticates, attested in Britain since the 1st century AD.
This research aims at identifying and interpreting changes in animal husbandry at the transition between the late Roman and early Anglo-Saxon periods in Britain. The results show that the typical characters of Roman animal husbandry persisted unchanged until the very end of the 4th century AD. Faunal assemblages from early Anglo-Saxon settlements often present considerable differences. Intensive exploitation of cattle disappears, being replaced by more generalised patterns where all domesticates are well represented and exploited for a variety of primary and secondary products. In most cases, size improvement is lost, reflecting different practical constraints and economic needs.
These dramatic changes underline the key role played by the Roman Empire in shaping husbandry practices in its northern provinces, and show food production strategies were not affected by mid-late Roman political and military crises. At the same time, early Anglo-Saxon communities actively adapted their food economy according to smaller-scale needs and different socio-political conditions.

- by Mauro Rizzetto
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- History, Archaeology, Roman History, Zooarchaeology

This paper focusses on the bird remains from West Stow, a renowned Early Anglo-Saxon site in southeast Britain. Zooarchaeological analyses will include species frequencies, evidence for carcass processing, and biometry. Ageing and analysis of the medullary bone for sexing will apply to chicken remains. Material from the four Early Anglo-Saxon subphases will be analysed separately, and the whole assemblage will be compared to other data from the region.

- by Mauro Rizzetto and +2
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- History, Archaeology, Roman History, Zooarchaeology
- by Lídia Colominas
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- Animal reproduction, Iron Age, Animal Management, Iberian Peninsula

Key denotes vitrified-warmed (V-W) and fresh oocytes by black and white bars, respectively. Bars presented on the left represent data from IVF using frozen-thawed spermatozoa, and bars on the right represent data using fresh spermatozoa. Data are presented as means ± SEM. Different superscripts denote significant difference (P<0.05), where a-b denotes difference between frozen-thawed and fresh spermatozoa, and 1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–8 between laser-assisted IVF (LAIVF) and conventional IVF (Conv IVF).</p

- by Tony Chavarria
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- Cryobiology, Developmental Biology, Model organisms, Medicine

Despite widespread recognition of significant data deficiencies, reptiles remain a relatively understudied taxon in ecotoxicology. To conduct ecological risk assessments on reptiles frequently requires using surrogate taxa such as birds, but recent research suggests that reptiles have significantly different exposure profiles and toxicant sensitivity. We exposed western fence lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis, to the same quantities of three model chemicals via oral (gavage) and dermal (ventral skin application) exposure for either 24 or 48 hours. Three phthalate esters (di-methyl phthalate [DMP], di-iso-butyl phthalate [DIBP], and din -octyl phthalate [DNOP]) were chosen as model chemicals because they represent a gradient of lipophilicity but are otherwise structurally similar. Overall, the more lipophilic phthalates (DIBP and DNOP) were found to have higher concentrations in tissues than the less lipophilic DMP. Significant differences in tissue concentrations between DIBP and DNOP were tissue-dependent, suggesting that delivery to a site of action following exposure is not only a simple function of lipophilicity. In dermal treatments, DMP usually had fewer detections (except in ventral skin samples), suggesting that lipophilicity (log K ow .2) is a requirement for uptake across the skin. In general, tissue residues were greater in oral treatments than dermal treatments (significant in adipose and liver tissue), but differences were driven strongly by differences in DMP which did not appear to be absorbed well across skin. When differences in tissue residue concentrations between oral and dermal exposure did occur, the difference was not drastic. Taken together these results suggest that dermal exposure should be considered in risk assessments for reptilian receptors. Dermal exposure may be an especially important route for reptiles as their ectothermic physiology translates to lower energetic demands and dietary exposure compared to birds and mammals.

- by Christopher J. Salice
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- Engineering, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry

1. Understanding the mechanisms that afford invasive species their ecological success as important agents of global change is key to addressing their biodiversity impacts. Species invasions that occur on small islands are especially detrimental and suggest that invaders intensify their ecological impacts by exploiting novel ecological functions. However, it remains unknown whether such strong impacts are also a consequence of an invader's indirect effect (e.g. causing physiological stress or reproductive failure) on island species. Therefore, it is valuable to quantify the physiological mechanisms through which invasive species can exert indirect effects on the performance, and ultimately the fitness of island endemics. 2. In this study, we investigated whether the invasive cane toad (Rhinella marina) caused indirect competitive impacts on the endemic Fijian ground frog (Platymantis vitiana) on the small (60 ha) Viwa Island, Fiji. We used large (4 9 10 000 m 2 ), natural and replicated enclosures to monitor ground frog stress hormone levels, reproductive hormone cycle, body condition, breeding and survival in the presence/absence of the cane toad. We conducted monthly sampling to analyse annual patterns in testosterone for males, estradiol and progesterone for females, corticosterone for both sexes and body condition of ground frogs in replicated enclosures or natural habitats with high/low cane toad densities. We also measured survival and reproductive success of ground frogs in enclosures.

- by Edward Narayan and +1
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- Animal Ecology, Biodiversity Conservation, Animal Management

(A and C) Graphs show head angle, crabspeed and normalized crawling speed as a function of time, as in Fig. 2. Dark lines, mean value. Light lines, ± s.e.m. Grey lines at 0 s mark stimulus onset and duration. Data from the control painless1>w1118 (light green, N = 53), painless3>w1118 (dark green, N = 45) and piezoKO>w1118 (blue, N = 51) is compared to painless1 (orange, N = 126), painless3 (red, N = 181) and piezoKO (red, N = 130) mutants, respectively. In both painless1 and painless3 mutants the peaks in the mean crabpseed and the mean normalized speed functions are highly reduced compared to controls. They show virtually no escape crawl. (B and D) Bar charts show head casting and rolling probability and the mean value of the maximum stride frequency as in Fig. 2E. Error bars indicate s.e.m. * (light green star), * (dark green star) and * (blue star) indicate p<0.001 when painless1, painless3 and piezoKO is compared to painless1>w1118, painless3>w1118 and piezoKO>w1118, respectively. In response to noxious heat stimulus, the rolling probability of painless1 (11.9%, N = 126) and painless3 (6.1%, N = 181) larvae, defective in thermal nociception, is significantly reduced compared to the hemizygous controls (49.1%, N = 53, p<10−6 and 31.1%, N = 45, p = 0.000054). The mutants also have significantly reduced stride frequency and stride speed following stimulation and reduced stride frequency prior to stimulation (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0071706#pone.0071706.s001" target="_blank">Table S1</a> for further details). In contrast, piezoKO mutant larvae defective in mechanical nociception roll slightly, but not significantly more than the hemizygous controls. Interestingly they are significantly defective in escape crawl and in stride speed prior to stimulation.</p

- by Dominik Hoffmann
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- Evolutionary Biology, Neuroscience, Zoology, Animal Behavior

Radiographic diagnostic value per view was calculated by summation of the perceptible radiographic detail assessed with a 5-point rating scale for each autopodial bone of front and, respectively, hind feet in Indian rhinoceroses. Standard radiographic views are schematically represented on the top row. Abbreviations: digits II, III, IV [D II, D III, D IV]; views: dorso-palmar (plantar) [DPa(l)], palmaro (plantaro)-dorsal [Pa(l)D], medio-lateral [ML], latero-medial [LM], and four oblique projections: dorsomedial-palmaro (plantaro) lateral [DM-Pa(l)LO], dorsolateral-palmaro (plantaro) medial [DL-Pa(l)MO], palmaro (plantaro) medial-dorsolateral [Pa(l)M-DLO] and palmaro (plantaro) lateral-dorsomedial [Pa(l)L-DMO].</p

- by Alexis Maillot
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- Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Pathology, Agriculture, Veterinary Science

Penning turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo spp.) in the Ancestral Pueblo American Southwest/Mexican Northwest (SW/NW) involved the creation or use of a variety of spaces and contexts throughout AD 1–1600 and into the post-contact era. Turkey pens, or captivity, occur through simple tethering, reuse of abandoned pit houses or surface rooms, or creation of pens within villages, plazas, and elsewhere. Turkey dung, droppings, and eggshells are fundamental for determining the presence or absence of pens at archaeological sites. In this paper, I review the archaeological record for turkey pens and focus on three main questions: (1) how are turkey pens identified in the SW/NW, (2) if turkey pen construction or evidence for turkey captivity shifts through time, and (3) what the record of turkey penning informs us regarding the long-term human management of these birds and global perspectives on human–bird/human–animal management. Ancestral Pueblo peoples created an adaptive and flexible strategy for turkey penning, which successfully integrated these birds into ceremonial and socioeconomic processes for approximately 1600 years.

- by Cyler Conrad
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- Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, North American Southwest, Human-Animal Relationships

The faunal assemblage from early Anglo-Saxon West Stow (SE Britain) produced a large number of caprine mandibles. Tooth and bone diagnostic morphological and biometrical criteria for sheep-goat distinction suggest all caprine remains at the site belonged to sheep. This provided the opportunity to construct new mandibular wear stage estimation tables, relying on a very high number of specimens, recovered from West Stow and few other contemporary sites. In addition to the teeth usually employed for ageing (dP4 and M1-3), the eruption stages and presence of the dP2 and dP3 were included, counteracting the usual underrepresentation of juvenile mandibles caused by preferential taphonomic destruction. The application of the new tables on the West Stow assemblage itself shows that the main advantage provided is a fairer representation of juvenile individuals, that can lead to different interpretations of the kill-off pattern.

- by Mauro Rizzetto
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- History, Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Research Methodology

It has been long known that wildlife management is often more about working with people than with wildlife (Gilbert 1971). Much of this people management occurs as top down conservation measures codified in rules, regulations, and laws. When such measures are enforced, or when there is an absence thereof, both people and wildlife can be affected; this has the potential to give rise to conflict about these measures to conserve wildlife. Such conservation conflicts have the potential to be as widespread as they are varied, and have proven difficult to resolve. It is also clear that conservation conflicts that involve wildlife will escalate both in number and intensity in the future because of rising human population and resource use (Redpath et al. 2015).

- by Kevin Wood
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- Management, Peace and Conflict Studies, Social Sciences, Natural Resources

This study presents carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions for bone collagen and serially sampled hair from a large collection of South American camelids from two Early Intermediate Period (c. 200 BC to AD 800) sites (Huaca Gallinazo and Huaca Santa Clara) in the Virú Valley (north coast of Peru). The isotopic compositions of these camelids are consistent with plant isotopic compositions from coastal and low altitude settings, but not from high altitude environments, suggesting that at least some of these animals were raised locally. We present several methodological approaches with respect to the treatment of isotopic data from archaeological contexts, outlining quantitative approaches that can provide considerable insight into isotopic variation (within groups, within individuals, between groups, between individuals), as well as temporal variation in isotopic compositions in incrementally growing tissues. We contend that focusing explicitly on variation in animal life histories has the greatest potential with respect to better understanding human-animal interactions in the past. The results demonstrate a large amount of isotopic variability among individuals and an inconsistent amount of within-individual variation, with no consistent shift in the diet leading up to the time of death for a group of animals from a single ritual event. This result suggests that camelid husbandry in the Virú Valley was a small-scale activity, with groups of camelids being managed by families or other small social units. Animals were likely kept primarily in close association to human habitation sites and provided with a diverse array of fodder. These prolonged interactions, occurring at a limited spatial scale, would have allowed a high degree of mutual familiarity to develop between humans and animals. Isotopic compositions for late Middle Horizon (c. AD 1100) sacrificed llamas from Huaca Santa Clara are consistent with Early Intermediate Period camelids, suggesting temporal stability in this small-scale camelid management strategy on the coast, which was fundamentally different from camelid herding in the pastures of the Andean highlands. Isotopic analysis of prehistoric livestock has great potential with respect to better understanding animal husbandry practices and human-animal interactions in the broadest sense because the data provide insight into the ways in which animals lived, rather than the manner in which they died. The variation-centered methodologies outlined in this paper provide a framework with which to approach some of these issues, highlighting the significance of understanding variability in livestock life histories.

- by Fred Longstaffe
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- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Zooarchaeology