Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Dr Colline PoirierORCiD, Professor Melissa BatesonORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Stereotypic behaviours are commonly observed in captive animals and are usually interpreted as a sign of poor welfare. Stereotypies have also been linked with brain abnormalities. However, stereotypies are a heterogeneous class of behaviours and mounting evidence indicates that different stereotypies can have different causes, and can be linked to different affective states. As a consequence, the implications of a specific stereotypy in a specific species cannot be safely inferred from evidence on other stereotypies or species. Here we review what is known about pacing behaviour in laboratory rhesus macaques, a common stereotypy in this species. Our review highlights the current lack of understanding of the causal factors underlying pacing behaviour. According to current knowledge, the welfare of pacing macaques could be either better, worse or equivalent to that of non-pacing individuals. It is also unclear whether pacing results from brain abnormalities. Since rhesus macaques are widely used as a model of healthy humans in neuroscience research, determining if pacing behaviour reflects an abnormal brain and/or poor welfare is urgent.
Author(s): Poirier C, Bateson M
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
Year: 2017
Volume: 83
Pages: 508-515
Print publication date: 01/12/2017
Online publication date: 08/09/2017
Acceptance date: 07/09/2017
Date deposited: 22/09/2017
ISSN (print): 0149-7634
ISSN (electronic): 1873-7528
Publisher: Elsevier
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.09.010
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.09.010
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric
