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Augusto Vitale

Publications and source records attributed to Augusto Vitale.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Environmental enrichment techniques in non-human primates. The case of Callitrichids.

In this paper, we discuss issues concerning the welfare of non-human primates used in laboratory research from an eco-ethological standpoint and suggest means of improving welfare. Following a brief review of the use of non-human primates in European countries and of the legislation that governs this use, we illustrate how a thorough eco-ethological knowledge of the species being studied can play a vital role in improving both its conditions and the quality of the experimental protocols, arguing that the animal's quality of life is closely linked to the quality of data. As a model for describing environmental enrichment techniques, we have used the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).

Animal Experimentation↗
PubMed2004

Refinement techniques in experimental protocols involving Callitrichids.

The invasiveness of biomedical experiments on laboratory animals should be limited to the greatest extent possible yet without sacrificing the quality of the data collected. To this end, refinement techniques can be used. In the present work, we describe some of these techniques, focussing on the familiarity of the experimental environment, alternative sampling techniques (including the use of positive training), telemetry, and methods for improving ethological experiments. As a model, we have chosen the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), which is frequently used in biomedical research.

Animal Experimentation↗
PubMed2003

Degree of social contact affects the emission of food calls in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the emission of food calls in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) is influenced by different social contexts. Food calls are emitted by this species only in the presence of preferred food. If these calls have any communicative function, it may be that individuals produce food calls in order to call family mates toward the food source. If this is the case, the number of calls produced should vary in accordance with the number of family mates present at the moment of the discovery of the food, i.e., the fewer family mates nearby, the more food calls are emitted. This hypothesis was tested with five pairs of common marmosets, by recording the number of food calls emitted in four experimental conditions: 1). isolation: completely isolated from the family mates; 2). visual isolation: separated by a wooden panel from the family mates; 3). visual contact: separated by a wire-mesh from the family mates; and 4). physical interaction: together with the family mates. The results show that the proportion of intervals during which food calls were produced by the pairs was significantly different in the four experimental conditions. It decreased from the isolation and visual isolation condition, through the visual contact condition, reaching the lowest value in the physical interaction condition. The variation observed in the proportion of intervals during which food calls were emitted, in relation to different social contexts, is an indication in favor of the communicative function of this vocalization.

Aging↗