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SUMMARY:Recent advances in the analysis of behavioural organisation and in
 terpretation as indicators of animal welfare - Lucy Asher\, Royal Veterina
 ry College
DTSTART:20081013T153000Z
DTEND:20081013T170000Z
UID:TALK13881@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Anthony Podberscek
DESCRIPTION:Whilst the incorporation of mathematical and engineering metho
 ds has greatly advanced in other areas of the life sciences\, they have be
 en under-utilised in the field of animal welfare. Exceptions are beginning
  to emerge and share a common motivation to quantify some ‘hidden’ asp
 ect in the structure of the behaviour of an individual\, or group of anima
 ls. Such analyses have the potential to quantify behavioural markers of pa
 in\, disease and stress in addition to objective quantification of abnorma
 l behaviour. I will explore the scope of such analytical methods as behavi
 oural indicators of welfare. Four classes of analyses that can be used to 
 quantify aspects of behavioural organisation will be introduced: fractal a
 nalysis\, Markov chains\, social network analysis and agent-based modellin
 g and simulation. The overview will include mathematical principles\, orig
 ins\, animal welfare applications and advantages and disadvantages. The ho
 pe is to encourage further application behavioural organisation methodolog
 y to animal welfare by providing an intuitive understanding of a suite of 
 potential welfare indicators. 
LOCATION:Centre for Animal Welfare & Anthrozoology Seminar Room\, Veterina
 ry Medicine\, Department of
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