Osthaus, Britta, Proops, Leanne, Hocking, Ian and Burden, Faith (2013) Spatial cognition and perseveration by horses, donkeys and mules in a simple A not B detour task. Animal Cognition, 16 (2). pp. 301-305. ISSN 1435-9448

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Abstract

We investigated perseveration and detour behaviour in 36 equids (Equus caballus, E. asinus, E. caballus × E. asinus) and compared these data to those of a previous study on domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). The animals were required to make a detour through a gap at one end of a straight barrier in order to reach a visible target. After one, two, three or four repeats (A trials), the gap was moved to the opposite end of the barrier (B trials). We recorded initial deviations from the correct solution path and the latency to crossing the barrier. In the A trials, mules crossed the barrier significantly faster than their parental species, the horses and donkeys. In the B trials, following the change of gap location, all species showed a reduction in performance. Both dogs and horses exhibited significant spatial perseveration, going initially to the previous gap location. Donkeys and mules, however, performed at chance level. Our results suggest that hybrid vigour in mules extends to spatial abilities.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of Psychology > Psychology
Subjects:	Q Science > QL Zoology > QL0750 Animal behaviour Q Science > QZ Psychology
Depositing User:	Leanne Proops
Date Deposited:	20 Jan 2014 13:50
Last Modified:	08 Mar 2017 07:12
URI:	http://srodev.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/47391

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