Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy
Not a member yet
6329 research outputs found
Sort by
Individuality matters but its cause has consequences
No full textI discuss the relationship between individuality and heritability and note that the mechanism driving individual differences matters for conservation and management outcomes
Can we use judgement bias to assess the welfare of fish in aquariums and zoos?
No full textThis commentary examines the potential of tests of judgment bias to assess fish welfare in aquariums and zoos. Judgment bias offers a non-invasive approach to interpreting affective states in animals, using cognitive responses to ambiguous stimuli as indicators of mental wellbeing. Despite the constraints of captive environments—such as limited handling and species diversity in exhibits—recent adaptations of judgment-bias protocols make them suitable across taxa, including fishes. Collaborations with progressive zoos and aquariums could facilitate this research, based on the shared goal of enhancing animal welfare and promoting public education
Psychological and social well-being of bony fishes in zoos and aquariums
No full textResearch on the behaviour of animals in zoos has been conducted for decades, and observations have provided information that has improved the psychological and social well-being of animals. However, research on fishes in zoos and aquariums seems to be lacking. Here, we assess the current state of research on fishes in zoos and aquariums by surveying the peer-reviewed literature. Our assessment differs from previous surveys in that we examine the taxonomic classes Chondrichthyes (sharks and rays) and Osteichthyes (bony fishes) separately. Our survey finds that bony fishes have been drastically underrepresented in zoo journals, more drastically than chondrichthyans, revealing an urgent need for zoos and aquariums to conduct research on the behaviour of the bony fishes in their care to ensure a positive state of psychological and social well-being. We conclude that data-driven analyses of fish behaviour could aid in the development of evidence-based practices that enhance the well-being of bony fishes in zoos and aquariums, just as they already do for terrestrial animals
To be conscious or not to be
No full textCarolyn Ristau has done a fine job summarizing the work and life of the zoologist Donald Griffin. Most scientists now accept the existence of animal sentience, but identifying which species possess consciousness remains controversial. Griffin defined consciousness as the subjective state of feeling or thinking about objects and events.” Nonconscious processes are faster and more energy-efficient, however, and often drive behavior. Consciousness probably evolved for complex decision-making, shaped by evolutionary continuity, with feelings as a common currency for evaluating outcomes. Its survival advantage may be limited, and its presence across species varies depending on evolutionary trajectories
Farmed Animals and Food Systems: Global Developments
No full textLast year brought some losses but also some wins for farmed animal advocacy
Birds, Bats and Minds. Tales of a Revolutionary Scientist: Donald R. Griffin. Volume Three
No full textIn this three-volume biography, we revisit the life and accomplishments of the revolutionary scientist, Donald R. Griffin. He encountered a lifetime of initial hostile resistance to his ideas and studies; now they are largely accepted. He and a colleague discovered the phenomenon of echolocation used by bats to navigate and capture insects, proposed that birds navigate guided by such cues as the sun and stars, and suggested that animals are likely aware, thinking and feeling beings. Forty interviews with his colleagues and friends help us understand the young emerging scientist and the mature researcher. We learn about his and others’ research up to the present times. We gain insights into his thinking and the rigors and delights of fieldwork. Efforts to promote animal well-being intrinsically depend upon the insights from his groundbreaking ideas.
Volume three of the Griffin biography emphasizes his daring proposition that animals are likely to be aware, think, and have feelings. He is castigated as setting back science, but he amasses an enormous array of supportive evidence discussed in several of his books. Philosophers examine related issues. Griffin also tackles the possibility of human echolocation, the mysteries of bats\u27 “terminal buzz,” beaver social behavior, and the “near sound” acoustics of honeybee communication. With Katy Payne, he plans studies of elephants’ social behavior to assess what it is like to be an elephant and to guide optimal protective measures. The influence of several women in his life is described, noting their accomplishments, intelligence and independence. We obsereve the struggles of some women scientists and Griffins’ support of many. During his “retirement” from Rockefeller University and move back to Cape Cod and the Harvard Field Station, he writes several books about the new field he had founded, “Cognitive Ethology,” and actively conducts research. Finally, Volume three includes a compilation of statements about Griffin’s life and work from friends, colleagues and the media that may be summarized as Griffin being an intensely curious man, a remarkable intellect, a revolutionary scientist, and a most admirable human being, The volume has extensive Appendices, includine a timeline, a list of publications, and a glossary of terms.https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/ebooks/1033/thumbnail.jp
Objective bat phenomenology
No full textOur discussions prompted Donald Griffin to campaign for the recognition of animal consciousness as a subject for scientific investigation. Ristau shows how much has since been discovered about the experiences of bats and other creatures, by Griffin and others, in spite of the limits to full knowledge imposed by our biological differences. But Ristau seriously misrepresents me as holding that we can know nothing about what it is like to be a bat, whereas these results are precisely of the kind I envisioned in proposing an “objective phenomenology.
Why is fish welfare still so neglected?
No full textOldfield & Bonano (O&B) address an important problem in the field of fish welfare, one that calls for greater attention from scientists and practitioners. O&B show that fish welfare, particularly at the psychological level, is under-investigated. They focus mainly on zoos and aquaria, but their concerns extend also to other domains, including fish farming. Fish are sentient animals; priority should be given to their welfare in all environments where they are under human care
Cognitive ethology, Animals and Society, and the American Sociological Association
No full textGriffin’s The Question of Animal Awareness (1976) and Animal Minds (2001) enabled and emboldened other disciplines to expand their research to include non-human animals. The creation of a dedicated section on human-animal relationships in sociology’s national professional organization is but one example
Illuminating Animal and Plant Sentience
No full textWBI’s journal, Animal Sentience, advances our understanding of sentience (feeling) and its phylogenetic extent