Unit 1 principles of animal science
what does precocial mean?
(of a young bird or other animal) hatched or born in an advanced state and able to feed itself almost immediately
what are the two theories of domestication?
1. adoption (artificial selection) 2. adaptation (natural selection)
how many laboratory animal numbers?
100,000-1,000,000
timeline of domestication
15 k- hunters and gatherers with dogs; 10k- Neolithic era with sheep, goats, cattle, swine, plants, and cats; 5k with Egypt, Stonehenge, olympics, Great Wall- chickens, geese, horses, llamas; present- rabbits
what percentage of rats, mice, and fish are being used in lab settings? and about how many are used?
95% because they are not covered in animal welfare act (because its expensive); around 15-20,000,000 rats, mice , fish are being used
What are the animal numbers in the US?
?? its hard to get an accurate number of exotic animals in the US because most places are privately owned
What is neoteny?
A slowing of the process of maturation, allowing more time for growth; an important factor in the development of large brains; THE RETENTION OF JUVENILE CHARACTERISTICS IN THE ADULT
what are cows used for beef production?
Angus, hereford, brahman
what are some goats used in goat production?
Boer, Kiko
artificial selection
Breeding organisms with specific traits in order to produce offspring with identical traits.
Kiko
Goat -fast growing, ideal for low input farming, hardy -from New Zealand where their name means "meat" - fertile plot of land- graze down on rugged landscape (vegetation management and food/meat)
Boer
Goat; developed in South Africa for meat production; white bodies and distinctive brown heads; floppy ears
Is domestication tameness?
NO, tameness is gradual habituation to humans, characterized by reduced fearfulness of humans
hamspire
Swine, black with white belt; heavily muscled, lean meat; one of the oldest American breeds of swine
GENE in poultry that was caused by domestication
TSHR- plays a role in reproductive cycles; chickens breed more frequently in captivity than in the wild
what is piebald color?
a spotting pattern of large unpigmented, usually white, areas of hair, feathers, or scales and normally pigmented patches, generally black
what does such social structure in behavioral traits allow?
allows humans to function as group members and to take both dominant and leadership roles within the group, thus facilitating MANAGEMENT
what is animal science
animal science is one of the oldest sciences as it began when man first started to domesticate animals
domestication
animals change genetically and physically (e.g. appearance, behavior, physiology); changes driven based on human desired traits (a type of selection pressure); an evolutionary process driven by selection pressures (artificial and natural)
how many companion animals are in the US?
around 140,000,000 pets
about how many exhibits are operating under USDA?
around 2,800; fewer than 10% are AZA accredited
How many farm animals are in the US?
around 9 million
mustang
cal poly mascot; mustangs are feral horses that have been caught and tamed (feral horses in general); unique brand on the body- code of where the horse came from
what are some physiological and physical changes due to domestication?
change in body size; coat color, horns, hair; decreased ratio of brain size to body size; skeletal changes--shortening of jaws and facial region, smaller teeth; faster growth rate; changes in fat deposition; increased muscle; increased milk production; neoteny
polygenic traits
characteristics that are influenced by more than one pair of genes
yorkshire
common breed used in the commercial swine industry for pork products; very large 450-750 pounds as adults
what are cats bred for?
companionship, hunting vermin, religion
what are dogs bred for?
companionship, hunting, herding, protection, racing, guide/working
what is the name of the Russian biologist who led the famous fox experiments to study the domestication process?
demitry belyaev
why don't we see the variation in cat breeds (e.g. shape/size) that we see in dog breeds
dogs were bred for more purposes than cats
what are breeds the result of?
domestication
what are sheep used in sheep production?
dorper, Rambouillet
why domesticate animals?
economic- income, financial asset, social value (dowries); food and fiber production; hunting and/or sporting; control of another species; protection; religious ceremonies; war; guide and working animals; human companions; scientific research
layers
egg production; 280-320 eggs/hen/yer; smaller and more "flighty" than broilers-- active, can be spooked easily; white leghorn X Rhode Island Red X New Hampshire; leaner and smaller
true or false: a wild animal can be tamed but not domesticated
false; domestication does not equal tameness
what is the animal welfare act?
federal set of standards for animals for better living conditions
what are examples of neoteny?
floppy ears, curly tails, piebald coloration, fewer or shortened vertebra, large eyes, rounded forehead, large ears, and shortened muzzle
tameness
gradual habituation to humans, characterized by reduced fearfulness of humans
why are most farm animals in the US broiler chickens?
grow fast, small animals, popular meat product
quarter horses
heavily muscled, fast a short-distance; excellent for working cattle, most of the cal poly horses are quarter horses; work horse
what are the names of the cows used for dairy production?
holstein, jersey
brahman cow
known for heat tolerance due to lots of loose skin-> increase surface area (evaporative cooling); more popular in South America; color of skin (white)--> more of an advantage; hump-water storage
what is a holstein cow?
known for high milk production; average production is 23,000 pounds per lactation and 120lbs in a day; 90% of dairy cows in US are holstein
what are jersey cows
known for higher fat % in milk--ice cream and butter; smaller than holsteins and produce less milk; 2nd most common dairy cow
hereford cow
known for their vigor and foraging ability, often grazed on rangeland; also high quality beef; adaptability and toughness; more hearty
what are chickens used in poultry production?
layers, broilers (not actual breeds)
What are behavioral changes due to domestication process?
less adaptable to changes in environment (because they were specialized); loss of pair bonding (ducks- pair form bonds in wild (we can breed that trait out of them), geese, foxes); loss of broodiness (e.g. chickens and turkeys)(breed less broody chickens); reduced flightiness and aggressiveness
What are behavioral traits that facilitate domestication in regards to social behavior?
live in groups, have dominance hierarchies, territorial behavior is minimized (groups can overlap home range), regular social grooming activities
what are feed lots?
location before cows are slaughtered for their meat; from high grass to high grain diet (to gain weight quickly)
broodiness
maternal instinct from hormones that makes animals protective of their eggs so they sit and don't move
what does altricial mean?
meaning "requiring nourishment", refers to a pattern of growth and development in organisms which are incapable of moving around on their own soon after hatching or being born
Broilers
meat production; muscular wide with of breast; legs set apart; fast growing (market weight in 44 days)(lot less mobile than layers); Cornish x white Plymouth Rock
what are commercial layers bred for?
more egg production and less broodiness
nature vs nurture fox experiment
more nature because the tame fox mom couldn't tame an aggressive fox
Angus cow
most common bred used for beef in US; high quality beef; generally raised in feed lots; most at cal poly
what are some horses at cal poly?
mustang, quarter horse, thoroughbred
Are layers used for meat production?
never used for meat production; can be used for pet food when done with egg production
dorper
one of the most fertile sheep breeds; hornless with a long body and a light covering of hair and wool; primarily a mutton sheep (food)
Rambouillet
originated with Spain's merino flocks (worlds finest wool); known for fleece production (sheering); sheep
when did the domestication of the wolf occur?
over 15,000 years ago, but recent findings suggest that some regions dogs have been domesticated for much longer
what are some effects of domestication?
piebald color, variation in species (breeds), physiological and physical changes, behavioral changes (due to domestication process)
why is it hard to get an accurate number for the number of rats, fish, and mice used?
private bodies have their own rules with rats, mice, fish
what are some unintended consequences of neoteny?
problems with their health and body; ex pugs and bulldogs have breathing problems
What are behavioral traits that facilitate domestication in regards to sexual behavior?
promiscuous mating (male-female do not form pair bonds), clear sexual signaling behaviors between males and females to indicate reproductive status, able to breed freely in captivity
single trait selection
selection for one trait
single trait selection vs polygenic traits
selection for one trait vs selecting for more traits have other consequences
how do you collect wool?
sheering
What are behavioral traits that facilitate domestication in regards to response to humans?
tameable, small flight zone, non-aggressive towards humans, readily controlled, attention seeking
what did we learn from the fox-farm experiment about domestication?
tameness- low level of stress hormones called cortisol; all the tame foxes were bred together consistently--> unintended consequence- bark color change ear flop; since hormones changed- means less cortisol-- tame-- effects on pigmentation b/c there are less melanin; happens quickly especially when you can breed quickly
What are behavioral traits that facilitate domestication in regards to juvenile characteristics?
temperament (i.e. docility), dependency, curiosity (versus fear) in novel situations, quick learning, willingness to associate with other species
what can happen when you wait longer than 44 days for a broiler to mature?
they lose muscle mass, diseases, health complications
what is the US association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)?
voluntary program for facilities that makes a standard for care for animals; only 240 accredited facilities with 750,000 animals
What are behavioral traits that facilitate domestication in regards to adaptability and activity?
wide environmental tolerance, absence of specialized dietary needs (e.g. can eat left-overs), limited agility (easy to restrain and contain), small home range
thoroughbred
widely used in horse racing; known for agility, speed stamina, and spirit; tall and lean
can wild animals be tamed and domesticated?
wild animals can be tamed but they are not domesticated
what was the first animal to be domesticated?
wolf
what are some pigs used for swine production?
yorkshire, Hampshire
What are behavioral traits that facilitate domestication in regards to precocial development?
young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching (some exceptions: eg. dogs/cats); initial rapid, strong bonding of dam and young; young can be separated from parents at a young age
