Biology subjects

Ventura, B.

Publications and source records attributed to Ventura, B..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Hunger, displacement, or play? Object manipulation behaviour in Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus)

Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus) engage in intricate activities using their paws for purposes such as food extraction, exploration, and tactile communication within their social group. However, some expressions of these behaviours do not appear to be immediately functional in captive populations. Here, we explore the expression of object manipulation behaviours (OMBs), such as rock manipulation (or juggling); the factors that may be driving their expression; and what OMBs may represent. A troop of six otters was observed at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park (United Kingdom) using camera-traps placed at three key locations in their enclosure: outside of their den, at the main feeding area, and at a rock-garden foraging area. A total of 2895 video clips were analysed using a hierarchical ethogram consisting of the behavioural categories of locomotion, stationary, vocalisation, physical affiliative, sustenance, and OMBs. The most commonly observed behaviours were walking (21.5%), lying (20.8%) and feeding (12.2%). OMBs were observed in 3.9% of total observations. Otters performed OMBs significantly more often outside their den than at the other locations. Grooming was also more frequent at this location. There was a negative association between the expression of OMBs and air temperature. Results suggest that in this otter population, OMBs were more likely an expression of play behaviour, contrasting findings reported elsewhere that rock juggling may be driven by hunger.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2025

Similar States, Different Paths: Neurodynamics of diverse meditation techniques

Meditation encompasses diverse practices that train attention inward, in contrast to externally oriented task states. However, the neurodynamic features distinguishing meditative states from non-meditative states across traditions remain unclear. We analyzed high-density EEG data (N=170; 121 advanced meditators, 49 controls) across four traditions: Vipassana, Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga, Heartfulness, and Isha Yoga. EEG features spanned oscillatory, aperiodic, nonlinear, and timescale components. Using random forest classifiers, we distinguished meditative from non-meditative states with robust classification performance (91%). Nonlinear features contributed the most, suggesting a core neurodynamic profile. Classification performance was higher in advanced meditators (92%) than in controls (85%), with distinct feature importance: nonlinear and aperiodic features dominated in meditators, and oscillatory and timescale features in controls. Each tradition showed distinct neurodynamic profiles, indicating technique-specific constellations. Our findings revealed shared yet distinct neurodynamic signatures across meditation techniques, suggesting that multiple neurodynamic pathways lead to meditative states.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Non-duality in brain and experience of advanced meditators - Key role for Intrinsic Neural Timescales

Distinguishing between self (internal) and environment (external) is fundamental to human experience, with ordinary waking consciousness structured around this duality. However, contemplative traditions describe non-dual states where this distinction dissolves. Despite its significance, the neural basis of non-duality remains underexplored. Using psychological questionnaires for non-duality experience and EEG-based intrinsic neural timescales as measured by the autocorrelation window (ACW), we studied non-duality in advanced meditators, novice meditators, and controls. All subjects underwent breath-watching meditation (internal attention) and a visual oddball cognitive task (external attention); this allowed us to conceptualize non-duality as a lack of distinction between internal and external attention. Our key findings include: (a) advanced meditators report greater experience of non-duality during breath-watching (psychological scales), (b) EEG-based ACW is longer during internal attention (breath watch) than external attention (oddball task) in all subjects taken together, (c) advanced meditators show no such distinction with equal duration of their ACW during both internal and external attention (we replicated this finding in another dataset of expert meditators); (d) the advanced meditators internal-external ACW difference correlated with their experience of the degree of non-duality (psychological scales) during internal attention. Together, these findings suggest that the brains intrinsic neural timescales during internal and external attention play a key role in mediating the experience of non-duality in advanced meditators.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

The Balanced Mind and its Intrinsic Neural Timescales in Advanced Meditators

A balanced mind, or equanimity, cultivated through meditation and other spiritual practices, is considered one of the highest mental states. Its core features include deidentification and non-duality. Despite its significance, its neural correlates remain unknown. To address this, we acquired 128-channel EEG data (n = 103) from advanced and novice meditators (from the Isha Yoga tradition) and controls during an internal attention (breath-watching) and an external attention task (visual-oddball paradigm). We calculated the auto-correlation window (ACW), a measure of brains intrinsic neural timescales (INTs) and assessed equanimity through self-report questionnaires. Advanced meditators showed higher levels of equanimity and shorter duration of INTs (shorter ACW) during breath-watching, indicating deidentification with mental contents. Furthermore, they demonstrated no significant differences in INTs between tasks, indicating non-dual awareness. Finally, shorter duration of INTs correlated with the participants subjective perceptions of equanimity. In conclusion, we show that the shorter duration of brains INT may serve as a neural marker of equanimity.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

How does perception of zoo animal welfare influence public attitudes, experiences, and behavioural intentions? A mixed-methods systematic review

The public expects zoos to provide high standards of animal care. Failing to meet public expectations can have detrimental impacts on public experiences and behaviour, which in turn can compromise zoos organisational goals relative to conservation and public education. Despite increased research interest in understanding how the public perceives animal welfare in zoo settings, to date the factors that influence such perceptions are still unclear. To address this gap in knowledge, we conducted a mixed methods systematic review using a PRISMA approach to identify the factors that influence public perceptions of zoo animal welfare and the potential ramifications of these perceptions on public attitudes, experiences, and behaviours. A total of 115 peer reviewed journal articles were analysed: 43 provided qualitative data for thematic synthesis and 85 reported quantitative data for content analysis. Three main groupings were identified that impacted public perception of animal welfare in zoos: human, animal, and environmental factors. Within the human factors, ethical justifications, direct interactions, and inappropriate visitor behaviours were important. For the animal factors, animals behaviour, apparent health status, and the suitability of certain taxa for captivity were found to be key. Finally, several aspects of the environment -- conditions of the facility, the exhibit, and welfare-related educational material --were influential. Overall, negative perceptions of animal welfare resulted in negative visitor attitudes towards zoos, detrimentally impacted experiences, and lowered likelihood to visit zoos and engagement in conservation efforts. The articles in this review provided valuable insights into the factors affecting public perception of zoo animal welfare; however, future research may benefit from a more structured approach to increase comparability and validity of results across studies. We conclude by proposing seven recommendations to increase the robustness and validity of future research in this area.

zoology↗