De nombreux espèces utilisent des signaux multicomposants/multimodales. Au cours de cette thèse, nous avons étudié les signaux acoustiques et visuels produits dans le cadre du choix du partenaire chez le Manchot royal. Concernant les composantes acoustiques, nous avons identifié des arrangements syllabiques spécifiques à chacun des sexes. La fréquence fondamentale et l'énergie des cris des manchots royaux, ainsi que certaines caractéristiques colorimétriques signalent des informations sur la classe d'âge de l'émetteur. Nous avons montré que l'appareil vocal des manchots royaux permet les individus de produire deux bandes de fréquences harmoniques puisqu'ils présentent un syrinx trachéo-bronchique et donc deux sources sonores. En résumé, ce travail de thèse a contribué à une meilleure compréhension des signaux utilisés dans le cadre du choix du partenaire chez une espèce monomorphique qui présente un comportement reproducteur très coûteux. / Communication signals used in sexual selection can be costly to produce and even reduce the emitter’s fitness. Many species use multicomponent signals communication systems in different signal modalities. Here, we study visual and acoustic signals produced in the context of mate choice on a sexually monomorphically ornamented seabird, the king penguin. We identified a sex-specific syllable pattern in the vocalisations of 1-year-old fledglings, juveniles and adult birds. We found that fundamental frequency and energy components of calls and beak spot and ear patch ornament parameters signal information about the age-class of the emitter. Investigating the vocal apparatus of adult king penguins, we showed that king penguins can produce “two voices” since they have a tracheobronchial syrinx, i.e. two sound sources. This thesis contributed to our understanding of signals used in mate choice in a sexually monomorphically ornamented species that exhibits a very costly breeding behaviour.

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This dissertation employs a case study research design and reviews literature from the field of animal assisted therapy (AAT) with an emphasis on equine facilitated psychotherapy (EFP), as a possible therapeutic alternative for treating inappropriate aggressive behaviour in a young boy. The research suggests that Horse Whispering can indeed be regarded as a viable therapeutic technique when intent on breaking the aggressive behaviour cycle. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.

In this study, the intersections between Equine Assisted Psychotherapeutic interventions and adolescence are explored. Equine Assisted therapeutic work has recently gained much popularity in the field of psychology, due to many reported benefits, which include the value of the use of the horse as a tool in psychotherapy. Adolescence is acknowledged to be a difficult transitional phase, punctuated with many challenges, such as identity development. As this study is conducted by a trainee psychotherapist and researcher, the work also contains a reflexive exploration of these fields, with personal reflections regarding the researcher‟s own experience in the fields. This study is framed as a transtheoretical bricolage, which includes elements of reflexivity, heuristics, transpersonal, and phenomenological research approaches. Data was gathered from individual interviews with co-researchers, focus group interviews, personal reflections, and inclusion of non-verbal information from the horses who formed part of this study. Data analysis was done by means of a Thematic Data Analysis. The research findings reflect themes on different levels, which are: content themes, process themes, meta-reflections on the research process, and a meta-analysis of the research and individual developmental process which took place in the production of this work / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Physical properties of the environment may shape signalling traits by determining how effective signals are in influencing the behaviour of other individuals. Evidence abounds of signalling environment driving the evolution of colours and sounds, yet little is known about its influence upon gestural displays. Here, we performed a continent-wide phylogenetic comparative analysis to test the hypothesis that habitat structure drives the evolution of aerial sexual displays in passerine birds. We found that aerial displays are seven times more likely to evolve in open-habitat passerines than in forest ones, likely as a result of physical properties that allow aerial displays to transmit more broadly in open habitats. Our results provide an emblematic example of how environmental factors may help predict the direction of evolution of otherwise unpredictable sexual traits. The broader range of aerial displays in open habitats may also mean that females can sample more males, potentially leading to more intense sexual selection in open-habitat, aerial-displaying males / Propriedades físicas do ambiente podem influenciar a evolução de sinais ao determinar quão efetivos eles são em influenciar o comportamento de outro indivíduo. Diversos estudos mostram a influência do ambiente sobre a evolução de cores e sons. Entretanto, pouco se sabe de sua influência sobre sinais motores (i.e., displays). Nesse trabalho, conduzimos uma análise comparativa filogenética para testar a hipótese de que a estrutura do hábitat influencia a evolução de displays sexuais aéreos em aves Passeriformes. Descobrimos que display aéreos têm uma probabilidade sete vezes maior de evoluir em passeriformes de ambiente aberto do que nos florestais, provavelmente decorrente de propriedades físicas que permitem que displays aéreos sejam transmitidos mais amplamente em ambientes abertos. Nossos resultados são um exemplo emblemático de como fatores ambientais podem ajudar a prever a direção de evolução de caracteres sexuais, frequentemente tidos como imprevisíveis. O raio mais amplo de displays aéreos em ambientes abertos também pode permitir que fêmeas consigam amostrar mais machos da população, potencialmente intensificado a seleção sexual sobre machos de ambiente aberto que exibem displays aéreos

This dissertation employs a case study research design and reviews literature from the field of animal assisted therapy (AAT) with an emphasis on equine facilitated psychotherapy (EFP), as a possible therapeutic alternative for treating inappropriate aggressive behaviour in a young boy. The research suggests that Horse Whispering can indeed be regarded as a viable therapeutic technique when intent on breaking the aggressive behaviour cycle. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.

In this study, the intersections between Equine Assisted Psychotherapeutic interventions and adolescence are explored. Equine Assisted therapeutic work has recently gained much popularity in the field of psychology, due to many reported benefits, which include the value of the use of the horse as a tool in psychotherapy. Adolescence is acknowledged to be a difficult transitional phase, punctuated with many challenges, such as identity development. As this study is conducted by a trainee psychotherapist and researcher, the work also contains a reflexive exploration of these fields, with personal reflections regarding the researcher‟s own experience in the fields. This study is framed as a transtheoretical bricolage, which includes elements of reflexivity, heuristics, transpersonal, and phenomenological research approaches. Data was gathered from individual interviews with co-researchers, focus group interviews, personal reflections, and inclusion of non-verbal information from the horses who formed part of this study. Data analysis was done by means of a Thematic Data Analysis. The research findings reflect themes on different levels, which are: content themes, process themes, meta-reflections on the research process, and a meta-analysis of the research and individual developmental process which took place in the production of this work / Psychology / M. A. (Clinical Psychology)

Ce travail s’intègre dans le cadre général de l’étude de l’écologie chimique des insectes dont il aborde deux aspects distincts.<p><p>Dans la première partie de cette thèse, nous avons étudié l’origine biogénétique des glycosides triterpéniques présents dans la sécrétion défensive de Platyphora kollari.<p>A cet effet, nous avons développé des schémas de synthèse originaux pour préparer la [2,2,3-2H3]&61537;-amyrine [48] et l’acide [2,2,3-2H3]oléanolique [56].<p> <p>Ces précurseurs marqués au deutérium ont ensuite été incorporés chez Platyphora kollari. Après incorporation, l’analyse des sécrétions par HPLC-ESIMS ont montré que cette espèce transforme efficacement l’acide oléanolique [34] en le glycoside triterpénique [27]. Par ailleurs, l’&61537;-amyrine [36] est beaucoup moins bien incorporée dans ce glycoside que la & / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

<p>Home cage aggression in male laboratory mice continues to challenge preclinical researchers. It reduces animal welfare and can alter research parameters, potentially reducing the validity and reliability of study data. While simply reducing aggression would be beneficial, promoting socio-positive, affiliative behaviors would greatly improve mouse welfare as mice are a social species. Mice also use olfaction to communicate, so this sensory modality could be used as a tool to improve social interactions in the home cage. A scoping review of the literature on how mammalian odor signals impact same sex social behavior found that studies are dominated by rodent subjects, treatments from urine, and aggression measures (Chapter 1). As a whole, urine treatments had a variable effect on aggression. This review highlights that treatments from non-urinary sources are not often tested, and affiliative behavior is rarely measured.</p> <p>One murine odor source worth exploring is found in used nesting material. Mice build complex nests for insulation and it has been speculated that the nest holds odor signals that appease home cage aggression, particularly aggression triggered by cage cleaning. It has been suggested that the nest contains secretions from plantar sweat glands, but the chemical content of neither nesting material nor plantar sweat have been examined. The main goals of this dissertation are to identify the odors stored in used nesting material, determine the sources of those odors, and test them for a behavioral role.</p> <p>Samples of used nesting material were collected from cages of group housed male mice. Further, plantar sweat, saliva, and urine were collected from the dominant and subordinate mouse in each cage as plausible odor sources. All samples were analyzed for protein and volatile organic compound content. Home cage aggression and affiliative behavior were also recorded to compare to odor profiles. Protein profiles showed that used nesting material contains a variety of proteins that primarily originate from plantar sweat, saliva, and urine sources (Chapter 2). A large proportion of these proteins contain messages about individual identity and bind volatile compounds that further contribute to identity cues. This suggests that the nest aids in maintaining a familiar odor environment. Analysis of volatile content showed that small compounds in the nest are also traced back to plantar sweat, saliva, and urine sources (Chapter 3). Few of the compounds have a known behavior role. However, one compound detected in nest, sweat, and saliva samples had a negative correlation with home cage aggression and three compounds (two from sweat and one from urine) had a positive correlation with affiliative behaviors, making them potential candidates for controlled studies on social behavior.</p> <p>Before testing the four candidate compounds, a challenge from the correlation study needed to be addressed. Body fluid samples were collected from individual mice based on social status, as this factor impacts production of known murine pheromones. Further, aggression is typically directed from a dominant to a subordinate mouse for territorial reasons. An aggression appeasement signal is likely to be produced by a subordinate to mitigate the dominant mouse’s perceived threat. Data from the correlation study showed no odor profile differences based on social status, and the pheromones that are known to vary with social status did not differ between dominant and subordinate mice. Therefore, Chapter 4 assesses the convergent validity of several dominance measures. Over one week, home cage interactions were observed in group housed male mice. For every aggression occurrence, the aggressor and target mouse was recorded to calculate individual dominance rankings in each cage. Then, individual mice were evaluated for the following measures known to correlate with dominance: levels of urinary darcin (a murine pheromone); scores from three rounds of the tube test; and ratio of preputial gland weight to body length. Postmortem wounding was also compared. Results showed that urinary darcin and preputial gland ratio have strong convergent validity with dominance ranking based on home cage aggression.</p> <p>Finally, the four candidate compounds (identified in Chapter 3) were developed into treatment solutions to assess their effect on home cage social behavior (Chapter 5). Cages of group housed male mice were randomly assigned one of five treatments (four compounds + control) and home cage aggression and affiliative behavior were recorded for one week. Postmortem wounding was recorded as a secondary aggression measure and social stress was measured through fecal corticosterone metabolites from each cage’s dominant and subordinate mouse (rank based on preputial gland ratio). Treatment did not predict changes in most measures. This may be due to limitations in application or from the original correlation study, which are further discussed.</p> <p>Although the final study showed null results, future research is still warranted to fine tune application methods and gain a better understanding of how odor signals impact interactions other than aggression. The relationship between olfaction and affiliative behaviors is largely unexamined and this dissertation is a first step in filling that gap.</p>

Text in English / Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is a form of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) used to treat individuals’ psychological problems. EAP is an interactive process in which a licensed mental health practitioner, a credentialed equine professional and suitable equines work together to address psychotherapy goals. Since the 1990s, research on EAP has grown rapidly in the United States of America (USA) and Europe, however research in the South African context is lacking. This descriptive and exploratory research study explored and described the experiences of licensed mental health practitioners and/or credentialed equine specialists who have included EAP within their practise by focusing on the role that equines play within the psychotherapeutic process. The knowledge of this study was derived from a Constructivistic epistemology. Constructivism argues that humans attain and build knowledge and meaning from their experiences. Participants were selected based on purposeful criterion sampling. Only licensed mental health practitioners or credentialed equine specialists who included EAP within their practise, registered at the Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Institute of South Africa (EAPISA) or the Equine-Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) were considered for participation. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with six participants. A post-interview follow-up email was used to gain additional feedback from each participant. Finally, data was analysed using thematic analysis. As EAP is a fairly new modality of therapy within South Africa, the contribution of this study is to add to the growing body of professional EAP literature. Thematic analysis identified seven main themes: shifting dynamics in the therapeutic relationship, setting the scene for storytelling, the equine as an intermediary and therapeutic tool, what the equine sees is what you get, instantaneous but lasting results, variations and similarities in approach and activities, the emotive motives of EAP practitioners. These themes are discussed in relation to the research findings. Findings of this study showed substantial agreement in what the equine brings to the psychotherapeutic session: unique equine attributes, opportunities for metaphorical learning, and relational aspects. The participants demonstrated a consensus in the belief that EAP can be beneficial to a large spectrum of psychotherapeutic populations in South Africa. A recommendation for future research is for larger, international studies that explore the viewpoints of psychotherapists who practice equine therapies in other countries in order to expand the knowledge base and address the competency and standards discussion in the EAP field. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)