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Home / Equine Research Bank / Anim Cogn / Socially dependent auditory laterality in domestic horses (E...
Animal cognition2009; 12(4); 611-619; doi: 10.1007/s10071-009-0220-5

Socially dependent auditory laterality in domestic horses (Equus caballus).

Abstract: Laterality is now known to be an ubiquitous phenomenon among the vertebrates. Particularly, laterality of auditory processing has been demonstrated in a variety of species, especially songbirds and primates. Such a hemispheric specialization has been shown to depend on factors such as sound structure, species specificity and types of stimuli. Much less is known on the possible influence of social familiarity although a few studies suggest such an influence. Here we tested the influence of the degree of familiarity on the laterality of the auditory response in the domestic horse. This species is known for its social system and shows visible reactions to sounds, with one or two ears moving towards a sound source. By comparing such responses to the playback of different conspecific whinnies (group member, neighbor and stranger), we could demonstrate a clear left hemisphere (LH) preference for familiar neighbor calls while no preference was found for group member and stranger calls. Yet, we found an opposite pattern of ear side preference for neighbor versus stranger calls. These results are, to our knowledge, the first to demonstrate auditory laterality in an ungulate species. They open further lines of thought on the influence of the social "value" of calls and the listener's arousal on auditory processing and laterality.
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Publication Date: 2009-03-13 PubMed ID: 19283416DOI: 10.1007/s10071-009-0220-5Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • 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.

This study investigates auditory laterality (the brain’s preference to use one hemisphere over the other when processing sound) in domestic horses, specifically the effect of social familiarity on this laterality. The researchers found that horses demonstrated a preference for using the left hemisphere of their brain when processing familiar sounds whereas no such preference was observed for unfamiliar sounds. This is the first study to document this phenomena in an ungulate species.

Understanding Auditory Laterality

  • Laterality is a phenomenon observed in vertebrates, where one side of the brain is preferentially used for certain tasks.
  • Particularly, auditory laterality refers to the preference of the brain to process sounds using one hemisphere over the other.
  • This laterality has been previously observed in various species including songbirds and primates.
  • The degree of this hemispheric specialization usually depends on factors like the structure of the sound, species specificity and the types of stimuli.

Study Details and Findings

  • In this study, researchers investigated the role of social familiarity in influencing auditory laterality in domestic horses.
  • Horses show visible responses to sounds, often moving one or two ears towards the source of the sound.
  • Researchers compared the horses’ reactions to different conspecific whinnies (sounds produced by horses), which included sounds from a group member, a neighboring horse, and a stranger horse.
  • Findings revealed clear left hemisphere preference when horses were processing familiar sounds (neighbor calls). No such preference was found for group member sounds or stranger sounds.
  • A unique pattern of ear side preference was reflected in the reactions to neighbor versus stranger calls.
  • This is the first study to demonstrate auditory laterality in an ungulate species (a group of large mammals that includes horses, cows, and deer among others).

Implications and Future Research

  • The findings of the study suggest that social familiarity plays a significant role in auditory laterality in horses, possibly influencing how they perceive and process sound.
  • This opens up avenues for further exploration into the influence of the “social value” of sounds and the listener’s arousal on auditory processing and laterality.
  • The discovery could help in understanding social interactions and behaviors among ungulate species, providing insights in the fields of animal behavior and neurobiology.

Cite This Article

APA
Basile M, Boivin S, Boutin A, Blois-Heulin C, Hausberger M, Lemasson A. (2009). Socially dependent auditory laterality in domestic horses (Equus caballus). Anim Cogn, 12(4), 611-619. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-009-0220-5

Publication

Animal cognition
ISSN: 1435-9456
NlmUniqueID: 9814573
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 4
Pages: 611-619

Researcher Affiliations

Basile, Muriel
  • Université de Rennes I, EthoS, Ethologie animale et humaine-UMR 6552-CNRS Station Biologique de Paimpont, 35380, Paimpont, France. basilemuriel@hotmail.com
Boivin, Sarah
    Boutin, Anaïs
      Blois-Heulin, Catherine
        Hausberger, Martine
          Lemasson, Alban

            MeSH Terms

            • Animals
            • Attention / physiology
            • Auditory Perception / physiology
            • Female
            • Functional Laterality / physiology
            • Horses / physiology
            • Horses / psychology
            • Male
            • Recognition, Psychology / physiology
            • Social Environment

            Citations

            This article has been cited 30 times.
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