Brenda McCowan

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Brenda McCowan is a research behaviorist interested in evolutionary, biological, and ecological aspects of animal behavior and communication. Her work focuses on improving the health and welfare of domesticated production animals, captive species (zoo, laboratory), and wildlife using applied animal behavior and bioacoustics. [1] She received her BS in Animal Physiology from Cornell University in 1985, and her PhD in Biological Anthropology from Harvard University in 1994. Dr. McCowan is the Program Head of Primate Behavioral Management at California National Primate Research Center, a position she has held since 2004. [2] Dr. McCowan has been on the faculty at the University of California – Davis since 1999, and is currently an Associate Adjunct Professor in the Department of Population Health and Reproduction at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She also heads the McCowan Lab of Behavioral Management at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine [3] , and is affiliated with the SETI Institute, [4] Hubbs-Sea World Institute, [5] and Santa Fe Institute. [6]

Contents

Research Interests

Animal Welfare

Primate Behavioral Management

As Program Head of Primate Behavioral Management at California National Primate Research Center, McCowan has published numerous studies regarding the behavioral management of primates used for laboratory testing, predominantly rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Many of these studies examine methods for reducing aggression and injury and improving well-being. [7] [8] [9]

Poultry Welfare

It is a widespread practice in the poultry industry to induce molting in egg-laying chickens, which maximizes both egg production and hen health. However, the effects of induced molting on hen well-being are poorly understood. The most common method for inducing molting is via forced fasting (fast-induced), and there is growing concern that hen well-being is negatively affected by fast-induced molting. A less popular but promising method of induced molting involves feeding of low-caloric density feed (nonfasting-induced). McCowan et al. (2006) examined the behavior of chickens subjected to different induced molting styles and found that cage pecking, aggression, and gakel calling increased in fast-induced chickens. [10] McCowan et al. (2006) concluded that nonfast-induced molting appears to be a more appropriate method, minimizing discomfort during a physiologically stressful time. The data also support gakel vocalization as an indicator of stress/discomfort in chickens, which are notoriously stoic and therefore have been hard to assess for well-being, historically.

Dairy Production

Cows, as with many mammals, use vocal communication to mediate and strengthen strong mother-infant bonds. Calves often call to their mothers in times of need (hunger, danger), and it is believed that certain calls are used to solicit nursing. McCowan et al. (2002) found that playback of calf vocalizations caused a statistically significant increase (1-2%) in milk production in dairy cows. [11] The cows most responsive to the vocalizations were those cows whose actual infants were closest in age to the calves used for the recordings (less than 1 week old); therefore, it is possible that milk production within a dairy herd could be increased further if multiple playbacks of calf vocalizations were used, varying by age as appropriate for the cows (McCowan 2002). (Young calf playbacks to cows with young calves; older calf playbacks to cows with older calves, etc.) These results highlight an innovative non-chemical method for increasing milk production in dairy cows, and are especially important findings for use on organic dairy farms, as the demand for organic products grows.

Wildlife Conservation

Ground Squirrels

Belding's ground squirrels (Spermophilus beldingi) are social squirrels living in the western United States which exhibit kin altruism by making alarm calls commonly referred to as ‘chirps’ to warn other individuals of terrestrial or aerial predators. Belding's ground squirrels live in colonies of related females and their dependent offspring, with the older sons dispersing to find other less-related females’ burrows, and the daughters staying to expand upon their mother's current burrow system. McCowan et al. (2002) hypothesized that there is an acoustic variability in these chirps dependent on individual identity, sex, and social group membership which is subsequently important in kin and social group recognition. [12] McCowan et al. (2002) recorded the alarm chirps of eight adult female Belding's ground squirrels from four lakes in the High Sierra Nevada mountain range, analyzed the acoustic structure of these chirps, and found the chirps to be individually distinctive, yet with similarity among individuals that may correspond to genetic similarity. McCowan et al. (2002) concluded that analysis of acoustic variation may then be a reliable, noninvasive tool for tracking dispersal patterns and other population dynamics in this species, as well as in other more threatened and endangered vocal mammalian species.

Humpback Whales

The effects of anthropogenic noise caused by ships, sonar, and other manmade systems on marine mammals have received increasing attention in recent years by environmental organizations, governmental agencies, and the general public. Such noise is potentially disrupting the feeding and mating behavior of marine mammals which rely on vocal communication and echolocation. After recording over 50 hours of vocalizations from 100 humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Glacier Bay National Park over 5 years, McCowan et al. (2008) introduced a quantitative tool, based on information theory, that can characterize and quantify humpback whale responses to environmental boat noise. [13] The researchers conclude that use of this new tool has the potential to help determine the effects of boat noise on humpback whale vocal communication and population dynamics, and may also be used to evaluate anthropogenic noise effects on other wildlife populations.

Mexican Spotted Owls

Behavioral Ecology of Infectious Disease

Ground Squirrels

Domestic Livestock

Mastitis, a potentially fatal inflammatory infection of the mammary glands, is a common health problem in dairy cows in the United States and causes great economic losses for the dairy industry each year due to reduced milk production in cows with mastitis. While the influence of contagious gram-positive bacteria (e.g. Staphylococcus and Streptococcus ) – which used to be the primary cause for mastitis in dairy cows – has been significantly reduced in recent years, environmental pathogens such as coliform bacteria (e.g. E. coli) and noncontagious Streptococcus now play a larger role in the infection of dairy cows. This is cause for concern as environmental bacteria, noncontagious Streptococcus especially, are becoming increasingly resistant to antimicrobial intramammary therapy. McCowan et al. (2005) set out to determine if certain housing facilities, husbandry practices, and/or use of antimicrobial agents caused higher levels of resistant environmental bacteria. [14] The researchers sampled the bulk tank milk of nearly 100 California dairies and conducted a face-to-face on-site questionnaire for approximately 50 of the dairies found to have at least 3 environmental bacteria isolates. McCowan et al. (2005) analyzed the results and found that not drying udders before attaching the milk units significantly increased chances of antimicrobial resistance, as did the use of some antimicrobial agents (ceftiofur, Sulfadimethoxine) for treatment of non-mastitis diseases. Surprisingly, no antimicrobial agents used to treat mastitis were found to cause increased resistance.

Socio-Cognitive Complexity / Communication Complexity

Bottlenose Dolphins

Squirrel Monkeys

Squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) are highly social New World monkeys found in Central and South America which exhibit various alarm calls to warn other individuals of potential predators. McCowan et al. (2000) researched the role of learning in the development of chuck call recognition in squirrel monkeys, hypothesizing that monkeys at different developmental stages (ages) respond preferentially to the chuck calls of familiar – yet genetically unrelated – companions as compared to those of unfamiliar individuals. [15] The researchers conducted a controlled playback experiment on four different age classes of squirrel monkeys and found that infants did not appear to have any preference for the chuck calls of close social associates or other social group members, concluding that learning plays a role in chuck call recognition in squirrel monkeys and that infants gradually learn to acoustically recognize social companions within their group.

To warn others in highly threatening situations, squirrel monkeys use an alarm call known as an alarm peep. In a later study, McCowan et al. (2001) examined the role of learning in the development of response to alarm peeps. [16] The researchers again conducted a controlled playback experiment on four different age classes of squirrel monkeys, and found that adult females were more discerning in their responses to alarm peeps, preferring to trust the peeps of other adult females as opposed to the peeps of infants or juveniles. The researchers concluded that squirrel monkeys do learn more appropriate responses to alarm peeps over their first year of development.

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bottlenose dolphin</span> Genus of dolphin

Bottlenose dolphins are toothed whales in the genus Tursiops. They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus contains three species: the common bottlenose dolphin, the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, and Tamanend's bottlenose dolphin. Others, like the Burrunan dolphin, may be alternately considered their own species or be subspecies of T. aduncus. Bottlenose dolphins inhabit warm and temperate seas worldwide, being found everywhere except for the Arctic and Antarctic Circle regions. Their name derives from the Latin tursio (dolphin) and truncatus for the truncated teeth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oceanic dolphin</span> Family of marine mammals

Oceanic dolphins or Delphinidae are a widely distributed family of dolphins that live in the sea. Close to forty extant species are recognised. They include several big species whose common names contain "whale" rather than "dolphin", such as the Globicephalinae. Delphinidae is a family within the superfamily Delphinoidea, which also includes the porpoises (Phocoenidae) and the Monodontidae. River dolphins are relatives of the Delphinoidea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cetacean intelligence</span> Intellectual capacity of cetaceans

Cetacean intelligence is the overall intelligence and derived cognitive ability of aquatic mammals belonging in the infraorder Cetacea (cetaceans), including baleen whales, porpoises, and dolphins. In 2014, a study found for first time that the long-finned pilot whale has more neocortical neurons than any other mammal, including humans, examined to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin</span> Species of mammal

The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin is a species of bottlenose dolphin. This dolphin grows to 2.6 m (8.5 ft) long, and weighs up to 230 kg (510 lb). It lives in the waters around India, northern Australia, South China, the Red Sea, and the eastern coast of Africa. Its back is dark grey and its belly is lighter grey or nearly white with grey spots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal language</span> Complex animal communication

Animal languages are forms of non-human animal communication that show similarities to human language. Animals communicate through a variety of signs, such as sounds and movements. Signing among animals may be considered a form of language if the inventory of signs is large enough. The signs are relatively arbitrary, and the animals seem to produce them with a degree of volition. In experimental tests, animal communication may also be evidenced through the use of lexigrams by chimpanzees and bonobos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal communication</span> Transfer of information from animal to animal

Animal communication is the transfer of information from one or a group of animals to one or more other animals that affects the current or future behavior of the receivers. Information may be sent intentionally, as in a courtship display, or unintentionally, as in the transfer of scent from predator to prey with kairomones. Information may be transferred to an "audience" of several receivers. Animal communication is a rapidly growing area of study in disciplines including animal behavior, sociology, neurology and animal cognition. Many aspects of animal behavior, such as symbolic name use, emotional expression, learning and sexual behavior, are being understood in new ways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cotton-top tamarin</span> Species of New World monkey

The cotton-top tamarin is a small New World monkey weighing less than 0.5 kg (1.1 lb). This New World monkey can live up to 24 years, but most of them die by 13 years. One of the smallest primates, the cotton-top tamarin is easily recognized by the long, white sagittal crest extending from its forehead to its shoulders. The species is found in tropical forest edges and secondary forests in northwestern Colombia, where it is arboreal and diurnal. Its diet includes insects and plant exudates, and it is an important seed disperser in the tropical ecosystem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alarm signal</span> Signal made by social animals to warn others of danger

In animal communication, an alarm signal is an antipredator adaptation in the form of signals emitted by social animals in response to danger. Many primates and birds have elaborate alarm calls for warning conspecifics of approaching predators. For example, the alarm call of the blackbird is a familiar sound in many gardens. Other animals, like fish and insects, may use non-auditory signals, such as chemical messages. Visual signs such as the white tail flashes of many deer have been suggested as alarm signals; they are less likely to be received by conspecifics, so have tended to be treated as a signal to the predator instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human–animal communication</span> Verbal and non-verbal interspecies communication

Human–animal communication is the communication observed between humans and other animals, ranging from non-verbal cues and vocalizations to the use of language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coppery titi monkey</span> Species of New World monkey

The coppery titi monkey or red titi monkey is a species of titi monkey, a type of New World monkey, from South America. They are found in the Amazon of Brazil and Peru, and perhaps northern Bolivia. It was described as Callithrix cupreus in 1823. These monkeys have a lifespan of a little over 20 years. These monkeys eat certain fruits, insects, and plants. They live in monogamous pairs with interesting ways for vocalizing and protecting themselves from predators.

Louis Herman was an American marine biologist. He was a researcher of dolphin sensory abilities, dolphin cognition, and humpback whales. He was professor in the Department of Psychology and a cooperating faculty member of the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He founded the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory (KBMML) in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1970 to study bottlenose dolphin perception, cognition, and communication. In 1975, he pioneered the scientific study of the annual winter migration of humpback whales into Hawaiian waters. Together with Adam Pack, he founded The Dolphin Institute in 1993, a non-profit corporation dedicated to dolphins and whales through education, research, and conservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akeakamai</span> Bottlenose dolphin, subject of animal language research

Akeakamai was a female Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, who, along with a companion female dolphin named Phoenix, and later tankmates Elele and Hiapo, were the subjects of Louis Herman's animal language studies at the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory in Honolulu, Hawaii. The most well-known paper is the original work described in Herman, Richards, & Wolz (1984). Akeakamai was also the subject of many other scientific studies of dolphin cognition, language acquisition, and sensory abilities.

Interspecies communication is communication between different species of animals, plants, or microorganisms.

Passive acoustics is the action of listening for sounds, often at specific frequencies or for purposes of specific analyses. It is often used for passive acoustic monitoring(PAM), the act of recording animal and environmental sounds through the use of acoustic sensors for the purpose of tracking animals and answering other ecological questions.

The Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (BDRI) is a research and educational centre dedicated to the understanding and conservation of cetaceans and the marine environment in which they live. The Institute's BDRI center was founded by the biologist Bruno Díaz López in Sardinia, Italy in 2005. In 2014, the BDRI opened a new facility in Galicia, Spain.

Vocal learning is the ability to modify acoustic and syntactic sounds, acquire new sounds via imitation, and produce vocalizations. "Vocalizations" in this case refers only to sounds generated by the vocal organ as opposed to by the lips, teeth, and tongue, which require substantially less motor control. A rare trait, vocal learning is a critical substrate for spoken language and has only been detected in eight animal groups despite the wide array of vocalizing species; these include humans, bats, cetaceans, pinnipeds, elephants, and three distantly related bird groups including songbirds, parrots, and hummingbirds. Vocal learning is distinct from auditory learning, or the ability to form memories of sounds heard, a relatively common trait which is present in all vertebrates tested. For example, dogs can be trained to understand the word "sit" even though the human word is not in its innate auditory repertoire. However, the dog cannot imitate and produce the word "sit" itself as vocal learners can.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laughter in animals</span> Overview of humor in animals

Laughter in animals other than humans describes animal behavior which resembles human laughter.

Diana Reiss is a professor of psychology at Hunter College and in the graduate program of Animal Behavior and Comparative Psychology at the City University of New York. Reiss's research has focused on understanding cognition and communication in dolphins and other cetaceans. Her important contributions include demonstrating mirror self-awareness in dolphins via the Mirror test.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Signature whistle</span>

A signature whistle is a learned, individually distinctive whistle type in a bottlenose dolphin's acoustic repertoire that gives the identity of the whistle owner. The whistles are identified and studied in the wild or in captivity by researchers using hydrophones. Vocal learning strongly influences the development of signature whistles, which can remain stable for up to at least 12 years. More often than not, calves develop signature whistles by the sounds they hear while making sure that they differ from close associates. However, male calves tend to learn signature whistles that resemble their mother's. They are believed to be most frequently used in the communication of captive bottlenose dolphins, along with having specialized functions and properties. Signature whistles are in a higher frequency range than humans can hear. Researchers define a signature whistle as a whistle with a unique frequency curve that dominates in the repertoire of a dolphin. Each dolphin has a distinct signature whistle that other members of its social group use to individually identify the whistler. They are typically used for localisation purposes, however they also provide dolphins with behavioural context. Signature whistles have an important role in facilitating mother–calf contact, group cohesion and social interaction.

Michael J. Owren was a Norwegian born American psychologist who contributed to the understanding of animal communication, the evolution of language, emotional communication, and vocal acoustics. His work focused on vocal phenomena in animals and humans. He pioneered digital spectral analysis techniques, first developed in speech science, for use in studies of animal communication. He studied primate vocalizations in terms of acoustics and communicative functions.

References

  1. ↑ "Population Health and Reproduction". Archived from the original on 2011-03-06. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  2. ↑ California National Primate Research Center: Our Scientists. "Our Scientists". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  3. ↑ McCowan Lab of Behavioral Management, UC Davis. http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/bjmccowan/lab/McCowan_Lab.htm Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Richards, Diane. 2004. "Unlocking Language in Space and on Earth." SETI Institute. http://www.seti.org/page.aspx?pid=1088 Archived 2011-06-15 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute. http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA476322
  6. ↑ Santa Fe Institute. http://www.santafe.edu/research/publications/sfi-bibliography/detail/?id=1652 Archived 2011-01-04 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Rommeck I, McCowan B, Anderson K, Heagerty A, and Cameron A. (2009). Risk factors and remediation of self-injurious and self-abuse behavior in rhesus macaques. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 12:61-72. http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/bjmccowan/Pubs/Rommecketal.JAAWS.2009.pdf Archived 2011-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ McCowan B, Anderson K, Heagerty A, and Cameron A. (2008). The utility of social network analysis in primate behavioral management. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 109:396–405. http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/bjmccowan/Pubs/McCowanetal.AABS.2008.pdf Archived 2011-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ McCowan B and Rommeck I. (2006). Bioacoustic monitoring of aggression in group-housed rhesus macaques. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 9:261–268.
  10. ↑ McCowan B, Cardona C, DiLorenzo AM, Jeffrey J, and Klingborg D. (2006). Effects of induced molting on the well-being of egg-laying chickens. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 9:9-23. http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/bjmccowan/Pubs/McCowanetal..JAAWS.2006.pdf Archived 2011-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ McCowan B, DiLorenzo AM, Abichandani S, Borelli C, and Cullor JS. (2002). Bioacoustic tools for enhancing animal productivity and management: Effects of recorded calf vocalizations on milk production in dairy cows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 77:13-20. http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/bjmccowan/Pubs/McCowanetal.AABS.2002.pdf Archived 2011-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ McCowan B and Hooper SL. (2002). Individual acoustic variation in Belding’s ground squirrel alarm chirps in the High Sierra Nevada. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 111:1157–1160. http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/bjmccowan/Pubs/McCowan&Hooper.Jasa.2002.pdf Archived 2017-08-11 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ Doyle L, McCowan B, Hanser S, Bucci T, Chyba C, and Blue E. (2008). Applicability of information theory to the quantification of responses to anthropogenic noise by Southeast Alaskan humpback whales. Entropy 10:33-46. http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/10/2/33/pdf
  14. ↑ Kirk JH, McCowan B, Atwill ER, Glenn KS, Higginbotham GE, Collar CA, Catillo A, Reed BA, Peterson NP, Cullor J. (2005). Epidemiology and antibiotic resistance of "environmental Streptococci" isolated from bulk tank milk collected on California dairies. Journal of Dairy Science 88:3710–3720.
  15. ↑ McCowan B and Newman JD. (2000). The role of learning in chuck call recognition by squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus). Behaviour 137:279-300. http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/bjmccowan/Pubs/McCowan&Newman.Beh.2000.pdf Archived 2017-08-11 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ McCowan B, Franceschini NV, and Vicino GA. (2001). Age differences and developmental trends in alarm peep responses by squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus). American Journal of Primatology 53(1):19-31. http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/bjmccowan/Pubs/McCowanetal.AJP.2001.pdf Archived 2011-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
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