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Die Naturwissenschaften2016; 103(9-10); 72; doi: 10.1007/s00114-016-1395-7

Investigating determinants of yawning in the domestic (Equus caballus) and Przewalski (Equus ferus przewalskii) horses.

Abstract: Yawning is rare in herbivores which therefore may be an interesting group to disentangle the potential function(s) of yawning behaviour. Horses provide the opportunity to compare not only animals living in different conditions but also wild versus domestic species. Here, we tested three hypotheses by observing both domestic and Przewalski horses living in semi-natural conditions: (i) that domestic horses may show an elevated rate of yawning as a result of the domestication process (or as a result of life conditions), (ii) that individuals experiencing a higher level of social stress would yawn more than individuals with lower social stress and (iii) that males would yawn more often than females. The study involved 19 Przewalski horses (PHs) and 16 domestic horses (DHs) of different breeds living in large outdoor enclosures. The results showed that there was no difference between the PH and DH in yawning frequency (YF). PHs exhibited much higher levels of social interactions than DHs. There was a positive correlation between yawning frequency and aggressive behaviours in PHs, especially males, supporting the idea that yawning may be associated with more excitatory/stressful social situations. A correlation was found between yawning frequency and affiliative behaviours in DHs, which supports the potential relationship between yawning and social context. Finally, the entire males, but not castrated males, showed much higher levels of yawning than females in both species. The intensity (rather than the valence) of the interaction may be important in triggering yawning, which could therefore be a displacement activity that helps reduce tension.
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Publication Date: 2016-08-19 PubMed ID: 27542092PubMed Central: PMC4992016DOI: 10.1007/s00114-016-1395-7Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Comparative Study
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research investigates what influences yawning behavior in both domestic and Przewalski horses. The results indicate no difference in yawning frequency based on the breed; however, yawning was more frequent in horses demonstrating aggressive behavior, suggesting a link between yawning and stressful social situations.

Background

  • The researchers chose horses for this study as they offer a comparison between wild and domestic species living in different conditions.
  • Yawning is rare in herbivores, and this research was undertaken to uncover the potential functions of yawning in these animals.

Research Hypotheses

  • The first assumption was that domestic horses might yawn more frequently due to the domestication process or their living conditions.
  • The second hypothesis was that individuals under higher levels of social stress would yawn more than their less stressed counterparts.
  • The third assumption was that males would yawn more frequently than females.

Research Methodology

  • The study included 19 Przewalski horses (PHs) and 16 domestic horses (DHs) of various breeds, all housed in large outdoor enclosures.

Key Findings

  • Results indicated there was no significant difference in the yawning frequency between the PH and DH.
  • Przewalski horses exhibited higher levels of social interactions than domestic horses.
  • There was a positive correlation between yawning frequency and aggressive behavior in Przewalski horses, particularly in males, suggesting a possible association between yawning and more excitatory or stressful social situations.
  • In domestic horses, a correlation was found between yawning frequency and affiliative behaviors, supporting a potential relationship between yawning and social context.
  • Uncut males in both species exhibited much higher levels of yawning than females, although castrated males did not show this pattern.
  • The intensity of the interaction could be crucial in provoking yawning, suggesting that yawning might act as a displacement activity to lower tension.

Cite This Article

APA
Górecka-Bruzda A, Fureix C, Ouvrard A, Bourjade M, Hausberger M. (2016). Investigating determinants of yawning in the domestic (Equus caballus) and Przewalski (Equus ferus przewalskii) horses. Naturwissenschaften, 103(9-10), 72. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-016-1395-7

Publication

Die Naturwissenschaften
ISSN: 1432-1904
NlmUniqueID: 0400767
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 103
Issue: 9-10
Pages: 72
PII: 72

Researcher Affiliations

Górecka-Bruzda, Aleksandra
  • Department of Animal Behaviour, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzębiec, Poland. a.gorecka@ighz.pl.
Fureix, Carole
  • CNRS UMR 6552 Ethologie Animale et Humaine, University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France.
  • School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU, UK.
Ouvrard, Anne
  • CNRS UMR 6552 Ethologie Animale et Humaine, University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France.
Bourjade, Marie
  • CNRS UMR 6552 Ethologie Animale et Humaine, University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France.
  • UMR CNRS 5263 Cognition Langue, Langage, Ergonomie, Laboratoire Travail et Cognition, University of Toulouse Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France.
  • Association pour le cheval de Przewalski: TAKH, Station biologique de la Tour du Valat, Arles, France.
Hausberger, Martine
  • CNRS UMR 6552 Ethologie Animale et Humaine, University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France.

MeSH Terms

  • Aggression / physiology
  • Animals
  • Animals, Domestic
  • Animals, Wild
  • Behavior, Animal / physiology
  • Breeding
  • Female
  • Horses / physiology
  • Horses / psychology
  • Male
  • Orchiectomy / veterinary
  • Sex Factors
  • Species Specificity
  • Stress, Psychological / physiopathology
  • Yawning / physiology

Conflict of Interest Statement

Compliance with ethical standards Ethical approval All our experiments complied with the current French and Polish laws related to animal experimentation and were in accordance with the European Directive 2010/63/EU. No licence/permit/institutional ethical approval was needed as only behavioural observations in free-living animals were performed. Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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