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Dynamic averaging and foraging decisions in horses (Equus callabus)
Jill A Devenport1, Megan R Patterson, Lynn D Devenport
1Department of Psychology, University of Central Oklahoma, 73034, USA. jdevenport@ucok.edu
Journal of Comparative Psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983)
|September 1, 2005
Summary
Horses utilize dynamic averaging to make foraging decisions in variable environments. This strategy helps them optimize food selection by considering both recent and long-term patch values, similar to other animal species.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Ecology
- Animal Cognition
Background:
- Environmental variability challenges foraging decisions due to information uncertainty.
- Dynamic averaging is a known strategy in granivores and carnivores for managing uncertain food resources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if grazing herbivores, like horses (Equus caballus), employ dynamic averaging for foraging.
- To determine if horses use temporal weighting to optimize foraging decisions in variable environments.
Main Methods:
- Horses were presented with choices between food patches with varying quality.
- The study manipulated the delay between patch assessment and choice, influencing information currency.
- Choices were recorded to analyze foraging strategies based on patch information availability.
Main Results:
- When patch information was current, horses preferred the most recently superior patch.
- With outdated information (longer delays), horses based choices on the long-term average value of patches.
- These findings indicate horses adapt their foraging strategy based on information reliability.
Conclusions:
- Grazing herbivores, specifically horses, demonstrate the use of dynamic averaging in foraging.
- Horses employ temporal weighting to optimize foraging decisions, similar to granivores and carnivores.
- This suggests dynamic averaging is a conserved strategy across diverse feeding guilds in variable environments.