Impact of domestication on learning and cognitive capacities in goats (Capra hircus): effects of long-term cognitive training on livestock welfare and husbandry

认知测试是一种重要的工具，可以用来调查非人类动物的心理能力，并提供关于驯化过程及其如何塑造行为和认知能力的见解。与野生动物相比，家养动物的智力往往不同，它们受到集约化饲养条件的影响，只有有限的机会进行特有的物种特有行为，因此可能导致无聊、压力和沮丧。虽然已知结构丰富可以抵消这些负面结果，但很少有人研究认知训练作为一种丰富形式对动物福利衡量标准(如行为反应性和应激生理学)的影响。因此，拟议项目的主要目标是调查(1)驯化对有蹄类物种山羊(Capra Hircus)视觉学习和认知能力的影响；(2)它们从同类和异种动物中学习的能力；以及(3)长期认知训练对山羊福利的影响，以及它们参与特定认知挑战任务的动机。研究对象是野山羊和两个品种的家养山羊，它们有两个不同的选择目标(一个是为了高产而选择的集约化品种，另一个是为了在农村地区放牧而选择的广泛品种)。首先，我们将调查学习灵活性和使用因果和社会线索的能力，特别关注人与动物的相互作用和驯化的影响(WP I和II)。其次，我们将调查以前的认知训练/测试和选择目标对家山羊从(A)同种或(B)人类(WP III)进行社会学习的能力的影响。最后，我们将确定长期认知训练对行为灵活性、应激反应和人-动物相互作用的影响，以及家山羊参与认知挑战任务的内在动机(WP IV)。为了优化我们结果的外部有效性，我们将在两个研究设施进行类似的住房和搬运条件下的实验。实验结果将提供重要的见解，以山羊为模式物种，从总体上以及与特定选择目标相关的驯化如何影响非人类动物的行为和认知。更深入地了解驯养对牲畜认知的影响是非常重要的，因为认知能力影响到牲畜(和其他圈养和/或家养动物)适应畜牧条件和人类互动的能力。因此，我们将对反复认知训练对家畜的行为、动机和生理参数的长期影响提供新的见解，使认知丰富更多地纳入动物福利的概念中。

Cognitive tests are an important tool with which to investigate the mental capacities of non-human animals, and to provide insights into the process of domestication and how it has shaped behavioural and cognitive capacities. Often differing in their mental capacities compared to their wild counterparts, domestic animals are subject to intensive husbandry conditions, which offer only limited opportunities to perform characteristic species-specific behaviours and can thus lead to boredom, stress and frustration. Although structural enrichment has been known to counteract these negative outcomes, approaches that focus on the effects of cognitive training as a form of enrichment on measures of animal welfare (such as behavioural reactivity and stress physiology) are rarely investigated.Thus, the main goals of the proposed project are to investigate (1) the impact of domestication on the visual learning and cognitive capacities of an ungulate species, the goat (Capra hircus); (2) their ability to learn from con- and heterospecifics; and (3) the impact of long-term cognitive training on goats welfare, and their motivation to participate in specific cognitive challenging tasks. Study subjects are wild goats and two breeds of domestic goats with two different selection objectives (an intensive breed selected for high milk production and an extensive breed selected for herding in rural landscapes). First, we will investigate learning flexibility and the ability to use causal and social cues with a special focus on human-animal interactions and the impact of domestication (WP I and II). Second, we will investigate the effect of previous cognitive training/testing and of the selection objective on the ability of domestic goats to learn socially from either (a) a conspecific or (b) a human (WP III). Finally, we will determine the influence of long-term cognitive training on behavioural flexibility, stress reactivity, and human-animal interactions as well as the intrinsic motivation of domestic goats to participate in cognitively challenging tasks (WP IV). To optimize the external validity of our results, experiments will be carried out in two research facilities under similar housing and handling conditions.The results will provide significant insights into how domestication, in general and in relation to specific selection objectives, has affected the behaviour and cognition of non-human animals, using goats as a model species. Gaining deeper knowledge of the effects of domestication on livestock cognition is highly important because cognitive capacities affect the ability of livestock (and other captive and/or domestic animals) to adapt to husbandry conditions and human interactions. Consequently, we will provide new insights into the long-term effects of repeated cognitive training on behavioural, motivational and physiological parameters of domestic animals, enabling a greater incorporation of cognitive enrichment into concepts of animal welfare.