Serum Oxytocin, Cortisol and Social Behavior in Calves: A Study in the Impossible Task Paradigm

Author:

Pinelli Claudia1ORCID,Scandurra Anna2ORCID,Mastellone Vincenzo3,Iommelli Piera3ORCID,Musco Nadia3ORCID,Pero Maria Elena34ORCID,Di Lucrezia Alfredo2ORCID,Lotito Daria3,Tudisco Raffaella3ORCID,D’Aniello Biagio2ORCID,Infascelli Federico3ORCID,Lombardi Pietro3ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy

2. Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy

3. Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, 80137 Naples, Italy

4. Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA

Abstract

In this study, we explored the correlations between circulating levels of oxytocin, cortisol, and different social behaviors toward humans in 26 Italian Red Pied calves (all females, with an average age of 174 ± 24 days) using the impossible task paradigm. This paradigm has proved fruitful in highlighting the effect of socialization on the willingness to interact with humans in several domesticated species. The test consists of the violation of an expectation (recovering food from an experimental apparatus) while a caregiver and a stranger are present. Immediately after the end of the test (less than one minute), blood was collected from the coccygeal vein. Statistics were performed by the Spearman’s rank correlation; significant differences were adjusted according to Bonferroni’s correction. Cortisol correlates positively (ρ = 0.565; p < 0.05) with the latency of behaviors directed at the caregiver, and the duration of behaviors directed at the apparatus correlates negatively with both the caregiver (ρ = −0.654; p < 0.05) and a stranger (ρ = −0.644; p < 0.05). Contrary to what is reported in the literature on cows, no correlations were found between oxytocin levels and direct behaviors toward the caregiver. This highlights a different behavioral strategy between calves and cows when placed in front of an impossible task.

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

General Veterinary,Animal Science and Zoology

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