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Social grouping tendencies and separation‐induced distress in juvenile sheep and goats
Author(s) -
Lyons David M.,
Price Edward O.,
Moberg Gary P.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.420260503
Subject(s) - juvenile , distress , psychology , zoology , biology , developmental psychology , ecology , clinical psychology
Social affinities in juvenile sheep and goats were compared by measuring grouping tendencies and separation‐induced distress during experimental encounters with a person in either the presence or the absence of juvenile pen‐mates. When tested with pen‐mates, sheep spent more time near penmates than did goats. When separated from pen‐mates, locomotor activity and plasma corticosteroid titers were higher in sheep, whereas vocal rates were higher in goats. Proximity to pen‐mate scores were not correlated with either vocal rates, r = 0.20, or locomotion scores, r = 0.21, recorded when juveniles were tested alone. Proximity to pen‐mate scores were correlated with posttest corticosteroid titers, r = 0.70; juvenile sheep spent more time near pen‐mates and showed greater adrenocortical responses when temporarily separated from juvenile pen‐mates. These findings support the possibility that interspecies differences in emotional reactivity contribute to the differences in grouping tendencies these ungulates display in natural or relatively unrestricted social groups. © 1993 Wiley & sons. Inc.