Animals also have personality

'Personality' may be seen as a trait unique to humans, since the word itself refers only to humans, but many research works on many species from squid to horse and even con It shows that we humans live on this planet with a lot of unique personalities.

Psychologist Lawrence Pervin has defined 'personality' as 'an individual's characteristics that control ways of feeling, thinking and acting consistently.' What is not human is not mentioned in this definition. Applied animal behaviorist Adele Lloyd of Bishop Burton University, UK, admits that there are limits in the application of human-centered definitions to animals, especially estimating what animals think and It is very difficult to feel.

Lloyd and his colleagues believe that observable behaviors can be assessed 'to demonstrate individual differences' in animals. Even people may have limitations, based on how we process information and compare ourselves.
However, Lloyd told Discovery News that the theory of humanity - the way people use to describe animal behavior - is easier to handle than quantitative statistics of animal behavior.

Character of the horse

The famous 60s television show 'Mister Ed' about a talking horse made it difficult to identify humanity but Lloyd's recent works on horses show at least different groups of horses. possess your own behavioral characteristics.

This work was approved by Applied Animal Behavior Science.

The researchers collected data on 1,223 horses of six different lines: Irish draft horses, purebred horses, Shetlan miniature horses, Arabian horses, Highland horses, Welsh horses, quarter horses. American and horse appaloosas. Horse owners, members of horse breeding groups and other individuals provided data by filling out a detailed questionnaire about horse character.

Analyzing data revealed that purebred horses, Welsh horses and Arabian horses tend to be anxious and agitated, while horses pull Irish and small horses Plateaus often have easy temperament. more bear. Similarly, Arabian horses and purebred horses are generally friendly and curious, and American quarter horses are quieter.

As for the dog lines, human selection has a great influence on these characteristics, showing that animals also have certain innate characteristics. Lloyd said she 'believes that genetics has a prominent role for animal character' but its contribution to the environmental impact of everyday elements has not been determined.

(Photo: Discovery News)

Move down the food chain

It is not difficult to recognize some aspects of humans on domesticated species such as horses, dogs and cats. The challenge lies in more alien creatures with us, such as insects. Steve Heydon, a scientist and manager of collections at the Bohart Museum of Biotechnology, told Discovery News that certain insects have their own characteristics.

'Take for example the tree-shaped insect in New Guinea. The males are quite aggressive. They will hold pointed legs on you but the children will be softer. ' He said he doubts there will be many instances of personality in the insect world, which often happens around group behavior, but he must admit that he has witnessed exceptions.

'In the hissing cockroach (hissing cockroach) we have a male that we named' King Kong '. King Kong is always prepared to fight and hiss if we touch it. Other cockroaches seem to be used to being touched. '

Usually, though not always, brain size corresponds to body size. It seems that the smaller brain minimizes the ability to form such characters. That's the thought of Kathy Streeter, the oceanic mammal curator at the New England Ocean Museum, when she began to study the hearing of green sea turtles, an unknown species of reptile because complexity in its perception.

Streeter quickly understood the opposite.'For some reason, the children own their test equipment and food. It seemed to be surprised by our high-tech equipment. If you take these or fish out of it, it will become worried. Other turtles don't behave like that. '

Streeter also works with other ocean mammals.'Some sea lions seem very charismatic, thanks in large part to body language. Some smaller ones just need to keep their posture straight up with confidence so they look big and solid. They seem to feel more secure for themselves than their peers and commanders in a quiet way rather than being arbitrary. '

(Photo: Discovery News)

Close to people

Jeannine Jackle, assistant in charge of Franklin Park Park, Boston, studied the gorilla monkey. Jackle was surprised by the difference of each gorilla. Kit is a separate male, but every time he receives food he leaves. Okie is a nice male who often sits alone and sucks his fingers but likes to joke around with females like a 34 year old. Gigi is worried about having a sister named Samantha in Cincinnati exactly like it.

"Kiki, a 24-year-old female, is my hero. She is strict but very caring, a mother keeps all the males in order. She is small but not afraid of anything. I have seen her punch. In the face of the males trying to attack it. Surprisingly, they surrendered. '

So where are we unique?

Both Streeter and Heydon believed that people possessed the ability to regulate behavior or even change their personality, at least within limits. Studies show that birds, squid and humans may have a tendency to be timid or boldly innate, demonstrating a strong genetic link to personality. However, Heydon points out that people often decide how these innate factors affect their lives.

'People can wake up in a depressed mood and wonder how they can pass a day's work, but they can try to remain silent and stay in the office. We can adjust our behavior to a very specific and purely conscious level, which is what makes us unique in terms of personality. '

(Photo: Discovery News)