Artículos de revistas
Modelling the Dynamics of Cow-Calf Dyadic Behavior
Fecha
2018-10-01Registro en:
International Journal Of System Dynamics Applications. Hershey: Igi Global, v. 7, n. 4, p. 1-19, 2018.
2160-9772
10.4018/IJSDA.2018100101
WOS:000455548900001
Autor
APTA SAA
Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
Institución
Resumen
The dynamics of the first suckling is critical for the formation of the complex cow-calf dyad system, where interactions occur among animals and natural and anthropic environments. In this study, the system dynamics method was applied to build conceptual and computational models to better understand the dynamics of dyadic behavior and its interactions with the environment. The model showed that dyadic behavior is manifested by reinforcing feedback loops in which the calf stimulates the cow's maternal functions, which in turn results in caring stimuli towards the calf. Moreover, ecological factors affect the performance of the animals' behavioral system by influencing the rate of direct events for both, cow and calf. The cow-calf dyad model can be used in silico experiments involving animal behavior, which allows computational verification of dynamic ex-ante hypotheses in vivo experiments, thus reducing costs and honoring the ethical principle of minimizing the experimental use of animals.