Abstract
Fear is a concept comprising several dimensions, but the nature of these dimensions and the relationships between them remain elusive. To investigate these dimensions in birds, we have used two genetic lines of quail divergently selected on tonic immobility duration, a behavioural index of fear. These two lines differ in their behavioural response to some, but not all, fear-inducing situations. In the present study, we investigated the contribution of human intervention in the differentiation between the two lines. To do this, fear responses towards a novel object were compared between lines in three conditions: (1) in the home cage without any human intervention, (2) in the home cage after human handling and (3) after placement in a novel environment by human handling. Fear behaviour differed between lines after human handling, with or without placement in a novel environment, but presentation of a novel object in the home cage without any human intervention induced similar fear responses in the two lines of quail. These results lead us to suggest that in quail, human intervention evokes a dimension of fear that differs from that evoked by sudden presentation of a novel object, in that these two dimensions may be selected independently.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.