The Effects of Construction Activity on the Behavior of Captive Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

Begnoche, Courtney A

Publication:
The Effects of Construction Activity on the Behavior of Captive Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

dc.contributor.advisor	Melinda A. Novak
dc.contributor.author	Begnoche, Courtney A
dc.contributor.department	University of Massachusetts Amherst
dc.contributor.department	Neuroscience & Behavior
dc.date	2023-09-23T08:33:19.000
dc.date.accessioned	2024-04-26T20:37:55Z
dc.date.available	2013-12-11T00:00:00Z
dc.date.issued	2014-01-01
dc.date.submitted	February
dc.description.abstract	Previous studies have revealed insight into the effects of noises and vibrations on rodents, livestock, and zoo animals, but there is little information about such effects on non-human primates. This study aimed to assess the impact of construction activity on the behavior of animals in a non-human primate (rhesus macaque) facility. Construction activity and modified frequency behavioral data were divided into three phases: baseline (~3 months prior to construction), roof (construction on top of the animal facility), and honors (construction of 7 new buildings adjacent to the facility). We hypothesized that anxiety behaviors (scratch and yawn) would be increased during the construction as opposed to baseline but that overall behavioral activity would be decreased. Additionally, we predicted that these effects would be most prominent during the roof construction period. However, subjects actually exhibited a significant decrease in scratching behavior from the baseline to the honors phase (p=0.040). The average number of behaviors performed in a 15-sec interval (behavioral change) significantly decreased (p=0.034) between the baseline and honors construction periods. This same decrease was seen in the average number of different species typical behaviors performed per observation period (behavioral range; p=0.004). Both effects occurred from the baseline to honors period (p=0.015). Closer inspection of the honors construction period revealed levels of scratching , behavioral change, and behavioral range had returned to baseline during Honors 3 and 4 (All p>0.05). These data suggest that adaptation may be possible when monkeys are exposed to prolonged construction.
dc.description.degree	Master of Science (M.S.)
dc.identifier.doi	https://doi.org/10.7275/4917343
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14394/44614
dc.relation.url	https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2321&context=theses&unstamped=1
dc.source.status	published
dc.subject	vibration
dc.subject	construction
dc.subject	primates
dc.subject	behavior
dc.subject	Behavioral Neurobiology
dc.subject	Bioinformatics
dc.subject	Other Animal Sciences
dc.title	The Effects of Construction Activity on the Behavior of Captive Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta)
dc.type	open
dc.type	article
dc.type	thesis
digcom.contributor.author	isAuthorOfPublication\|email:begnoche.courtney@gmail.com\|institution:University of Massachusetts Amherst\|Begnoche, Courtney A
digcom.date.embargo	2013-12-11T00:00:00-08:00
digcom.identifier	theses/1171
digcom.identifier.contextkey	4917343
digcom.identifier.submissionpath	theses/1171
dspace.entity.type	Publication