Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Lateralization

Lateralization

Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.

Cloning of Dolly the Sheep

Cloning of Dolly the Sheep

The first successfully cloned mammal was Dolly, a sheep, born on 5th July 1996 at Roslin Institute, Scotland. The cloned sheep was named after the American singer Dolly Parton. Dolly lived for seven years and died of respiratory complications, which is speculated to be due to the actual age of her DNA. Because the DNA in cloned cells belongs to an older individual, the cloned individual’s life expectancy may be affected. Indeed, analysis of Dolly’s DNA revealed shorter telomeres than other...

Imprinting

Imprinting

Behavioral imprinting is observed in some newborn animals and occurs when they develop strong and specific attachments to another animal (usually a parent) following brief, early-life exposures. Offspring imprint onto parents within a brief period after birth or hatching; this time window is called the critical period. Once imprinting occurs, the bond established between the parents and their offspring is usually long-lasting.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Application of multi-way data analysis on excitation-emission spectra for plant identification.

Talanta·2008

Same author

Impact of filter paper on fluorescence measurements of buffered saline filtrates.

Talanta·2008

Same author

A multi-source portable light emitting diode spectrofluorometer.

Applied spectroscopy·2008

Same author

Photoluminescent distinction among plant life forms using phosphate buffered saline extract solutions.

Applied spectroscopy·2006

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

Clinical Examination Protocol to Detect Atypical and Classical Scrapie in Sheep

Clinical Examination Protocol to Detect Atypical and Classical Scrapie in Sheep

Published on: January 19, 2014

Sheep laterality.

Dean M Anderson¹, Leigh W Murray

¹USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, USA. deanders@nmsu.edu

|April 5, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Sheep exhibit distinct turning preferences in a T-maze. White-faced ewes showed a tendency to either continue a left turn or alternate a right turn, indicating non-random turning behavior.

More Related Videos

Spinal Cord Lateral Hemisection and Asymmetric Behavioral Assessments in Adult Rats

Spinal Cord Lateral Hemisection and Asymmetric Behavioral Assessments in Adult Rats

Published on: March 24, 2020

Instrumentation of Near-term Fetal Sheep for Multivariate Chronic Non-anesthetized Recordings

Instrumentation of Near-term Fetal Sheep for Multivariate Chronic Non-anesthetized Recordings

Published on: October 25, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 23, 2026

Clinical Examination Protocol to Detect Atypical and Classical Scrapie in Sheep

Clinical Examination Protocol to Detect Atypical and Classical Scrapie in Sheep

Published on: January 19, 2014

Spinal Cord Lateral Hemisection and Asymmetric Behavioral Assessments in Adult Rats

Spinal Cord Lateral Hemisection and Asymmetric Behavioral Assessments in Adult Rats

Published on: March 24, 2020

Instrumentation of Near-term Fetal Sheep for Multivariate Chronic Non-anesthetized Recordings

Instrumentation of Near-term Fetal Sheep for Multivariate Chronic Non-anesthetized Recordings

Published on: October 25, 2015

Area of Science:

Animal behavior science
Ethology
Animal welfare science

Background:

Understanding animal turning preferences is crucial for designing effective animal handling facilities and research equipment.
Sheep (Ovis aries) behavior, particularly their lateralization in movement, is not fully understood.
Individual differences in turning behavior may influence animal welfare and experimental outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

To individually assess turning preferences in white-faced ewes within a T-maze.
To investigate the relationship between initial turns and subsequent choices in a return alley.
To determine if factors like time of day, age, genetics, or weight influence turning laterality.

Main Methods:

309 white-faced ewes were tested individually in an enclosed, artificially lit T-maze.
Data collected included time in the start box and T-maze, and choices for exit arm and return alley.
Statistical analysis was performed to assess the independence of exit arm and return alley choices and the influence of various factors.

Main Results:

Ewes showed a significant non-random pattern in exit arm and return alley choices (p <.0001).
The majority of ewes exhibited RR (28.2%), LL (30.1%), or RL (37.5%) turning patterns, with LR being least common (4.2%).
Ewes initially turning right tended to alternate, while those turning left tended to continue left; no significant effect of time, age, genetics, or weight was found.

Conclusions:

Sheep exhibit consistent, non-random turning preferences, suggesting lateralization in their motor behavior.
Turning patterns are influenced by previous choices, with different tendencies observed for right and left initial turns.
Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of sheep turning laterality and its practical implications for animal management and research.