A novel species-specific multiplex to identify 18 common European mammalian species (badger, cat, cow, dog, donkey, fox, goat, guinea pig, harvest mouse, hedgehog, horse, house mouse, human, pig, rabbit, rat, red deer and sheep), often associated with forensic investigations, has been developed.

The primary aim of mammalian behaviour simulation is to allow “behaviourologists” to extend their current knowledge without needing to resort to expensive and intrusive real life experimentation. A useful mechanism for realising mammalian behaviour simulation is provided by the idea of Multi-Agent Based Simulation (MABS) where each "player" in a simulation is represented by an agent with a particular set of features or capabilities. This thesis proposed the Mammalian Behaviour MABS (MBMABS) framework. The fundamental idea presented in this thesis is that each mammal featured in the simulation can be modelled as an agent that has a set of desires and a set of behaviours. The desires may be static, in that they do not change for the duration of a simulation, or dynamic in that they change with time during a simulation (influenced by some internal or external event). In the work presented behaviours are modelled using the concept of a behaviour graph comprised of vertices representing states and edges indicating possible state changes. State changes occur as a result of an agent completing some self-appointed task or as a result of some external event. Each state has one or more predefined potential follow on states. Where there is more than one follow on state selection is made according to a weighted random selection process. The weightings are derived dynamically according to individual agent’s desires. A particular novel element of the proposed approach is that it features a degree of randomness, agents will not behave in the same manner on each occasion that a simulation is run. The operation of the MBMABS framework is illustrated in this thesis using a collection of mouse behaviour case studies, in which real mice are represented as individual agents. The reported evaluation of the case studies demonstrated that the proposed framework readily supports rodent behaviour simulations. The reported evaluation also indicated that the proposed simulation framework readily allows users to observe the behaviour of the simulated entities. More specifically the evaluation of the simulations was conducted by: (i) comparing the operation of the proposed MBMABS with video data, (ii) visual observation and (iii) reference to domain experts. The MBMABS experiments conducted using video data successfully indicated that there was a similarity in the behaviour of mouse agents operating within the framework and real life mice (as recorded using video data). Mouse behaviour such as thigmotaxis and nest site selection was observed in both the simulation and video. The evaluation also indicated that the MBMABS framework readily supported the addition of states and desires. However, is was also noted that: (i) as the number of states increased the behaviour graph became more complex and difficult to visualise and (ii) as the number of agents interacting with the behaviour graph increased, the performance of the proposed framework was also affected in the sense that it required more resources to operate optimally.

The foraging ecology of a band of gelada monkeys (Theropithecus gelada) was studied in the field at Sankaber, Ethiopia, for 14 months. The field site is at high altitude (3300m) and experiences severe variation in climatic and vegetational conditions across distinct wet and dry seasons and between different microhabitats. Gelada live in a complex fission/fusion social system and occupy a unique environmental niche as the world's only graminivorous primate species. Research was directed towards examining the ecological parameters affecting the gelada's group-level behavioural ecology. The nature and distribution of gel ada food resources was found to be a more complex and influential selective force than previously acknowledged. Gelada ranging behaviour varied in relation to spatial and temporal variation in food availability and specific small scale weather patterns, but not in relation to the distribution of sleeping sites, refuges or water sources. Group size and day journey length covaried significantly between seasons and months and the strength of the correlation between the two variables was determined by levels of food availability. The rate at which the main gel ada study band underwent fission or fusion correlated to the degree in which food was patchily distributed but not direct levels of food availability. Distribution of food sources varied significantly between habitats as did levels of visibility. Gelada alarm and flight response rates were found to correlate more strongly to levels of visibility under 10 metres within each habitat than mean levels of visibility per se. Both males and females spent significantly more time feeding, (and feeding on subterranean food items specifically) in the dry season, resulting in a slightly higher mean daily calorific intake than in the wet season. It is suggested that the dry season does not represent a 'nutritional bottleneck' to the gel ada as previously thought, but does constitute a period of increased energy requirements due to seasonal variation in lactation and thermoregulation demands

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