The evidence for macroscopic life during the Palaeoproterozoic era (2.5-1.6Gyr ago) is controversial. Except for the nearly 2-Gyr-old coil-shaped fossil Grypania spiralis, which may have been ...eukaryotic, evidence for morphological and taxonomic biodiversification of macroorganisms only occurs towards the beginning of the Mesoproterozoic era (1.6-1.0Gyr). Here we report the discovery of centimetre-sized structures from the 2.1-Gyr-old black shales of the Palaeoproterozoic Francevillian B Formation in Gabon, which we interpret as highly organized and spatially discrete populations of colonial organisms. The structures are up to 12cm in size and have characteristic shapes, with a simple but distinct ground pattern of flexible sheets and, usually, a permeating radial fabric. Geochemical analyses suggest that the sediments were deposited under an oxygenated water column. Carbon and sulphur isotopic data indicate that the structures were distinct biogenic objects, fossilized by pyritization early in the formation of the rock. The growth patterns deduced from the fossil morphologies suggest that the organisms showed cell-to-cell signalling and coordinated responses, as is commonly associated with multicellular organization. The Gabon fossils, occurring after the 2.45-2.32-Gyr increase in atmospheric oxygen concentration, may be seen as ancient representatives of multicellular life, which expanded so rapidly 1.5Gyr later, in the Cambrian explosion.
The obligation to follow a training to maintain skills in animal experimentation, and the identification a training need by the INRAE Direction, the animal experimentation bureau and training ...managers of INRAE centers that work on animal were at the origins of this technical school on animal welfare in experimentation. Several scientists at the training department and an organising group of experts in ethology and animal welfare have elaborated this program in two modules : emotions and animal welfare. Some workshops in sub-groups, discussions raised from experiences and videos, and theoretical concepts have allowed this school to be an important exchange moment for the different actors in experimentation. After four years in progress, at the rate of two sessions a year, this training is still expected so that two sessions are programmed until the end of 2021. Thanks to this school, participants have expressed some specific training needs like the SBEA (Structures chargées du Bien-Être Animal, laboratories in charge of animal welfare) network, a reflection on the future of animals at the end of experimentation and a reflection about euthanasia will be implemented soon.
L’obligation de suivre une formation continue pour maintenir les compétences en expérimentation animale, et l’identification d’un besoin de formation par la direction générale d’INRAE, le bureau de l’expérimentation animale et les responsables de formation des centres INRAE travaillant sur l’animal ont été à l’origine de cette école technique sur le bien-être animal en expérimentation. Des chargés de mission de la Formation Permanente et un groupe organisateur constitué d’experts en éthologie et en bien-être animal ont élaboré le programme sous la forme de deux modules : émotions et bien-être animal, douleur animale. Des ateliers en sous-groupes, des discussions suscitées par des témoignages et des vidéos, ainsi que des apports théoriques ont permis de faire de l’école un lieu privilégié d’échanges pour les différents acteurs de l’expérimentation. Après quatre ans d’existence, à raison de deux sessions annuelles, la formation est toujours demandée, de sorte que deux nouvelles sessions sont programmées d’ici fin 2021. Grâce à cette école, les participants ont exprimé des souhaits de formation plus spécifiques, à savoir la mise en réseau des SBEA (Structures chargées du Bien-Être Animal), une réflexion sur le devenir des animaux en fin d’expérimentation et une réflexion autour de l’euthanasie qui seront prochainement mises en place.
Pain relief at piglet tail docking and castrationMeloxicam treatment of piglets is routinely performed in France to alleviate pain due to surgical castration. Two trials were carried out using a ...similar experimental protocol in order to 1.) evaluate the efficacy of meloxicam (M) to relieve pain due to tail docking (Q) performed at 2 or 5 days of age, 2.) evaluate the influence of tail docking (Q) and surgical castration (C) performed at the same time, and evaluate, in this situation, the efficacy of meloxicam associated or not with butorphanol (B) to relieve pain. In trial 1, piglets were tail docked with hot cautery iron at 2 or 5 days of age after i.m. injection of meloxicam (M) or saline (P) or were only handled (T). In trial 2, 2-day old piglets allocated to five experimental groups were compared: C/M, Q/M, QC/M, QC/MB, QC/P. Post-operative behaviour was recorded in 24 piglets per treatment and age and blood sampling was performed on 21 to 23 other piglets.Tail docking induced more tail trembling (P < 0.001) but other post-surgical behaviours did not differ significantly between treatments. Plasma cortisol was lower in T than in P piglets (P < 0.05) and intermediate in M piglets (77.2 ± 22.4, 86.7 ± 18.1 and 97.8 ± 25.5 ng/ml in T, M and P piglets, respectively), suggesting a partial pain relief. Pain-related indicators varied with age but it was not possible to conclude whether tail docking is more or less painful at one or the other age.Performing both interventions at 2 days of age induced an acute pain similar to that observed after castration alone. Standing and exploring were more frequent (P < 0.05) while plasma cortisol level was lower (P < 0.1) in QC/MB than in QC/M piglets. The responses of piglets suggested better pain alleviation by MB than by M treatment but this alleviation was still incomplete.
La prise en charge de la douleur lors de la caudectomie et de la castration des porceletsL’analgésie sous méloxicam est pratiquée en France lors de la castration des porcelets. Deux essais ont été mis en place pour 1.) évaluer l’intérêt d’une pratique similaire lors de la caudectomie (Q) pratiquée à 2 ou 5 jours d’âge, 2.) mesurer les effets de la réalisation simultanée de la caudectomie (Q) et de la castration (C), et envisager dans ce cas la possibilité de réduire la douleur via l’utilisation de méloxicam (M), associé ou non à du butorphanol (B). Dans l’essai 1, les porcelets de 2 ou 5 jours ont la queue coupée et cautérisée après l’administration de méloxicam ou d’un placebo (P) ou sont simplement manipulés (T). Dans l’essai 2, cinq traitements sont comparés chez des porcelets de 2 jours : C/M, Q/M , QC/M, QC/MB, QC/P. Le comportement post-opératoire est suivi pour 24 porcelets par traitement et par âge et un prélèvement sanguin effectué sur 21 à 23 autres animaux.La caudectomie entraîne des tremblements de la queue (P < 0,001) mais les autres comportements post-opératoires ne diffèrent pas entre les trois traitements. La concentration en cortisol plasmatique est plus faible chez les porcelets T que P (P < 0,05) et intermédiaire chez les M (respectivement 77,2 ± 22,4, 86,7 ± 18,1 et 97,8 ± 25,5 ng/ml pour T, M et P), suggérant une analgésie imparfaite. Les indicateurs de la douleur diffèrent en fonction de l’âge mais il n’est pas possible de conclure si l’intervention est plus ou moins douloureuse à l’un ou l’autre âge.La réalisation simultanée des interventions à 2 jours induit une douleur peu différente de celle due à la castration seule. Le temps passé debout et en exploration est plus élevé pour les porcelets QC/MB que QC/M (P < 0,05) et la teneur en cortisol plasmatique plus faible (P < 0,1). La douleur est mieux prise en charge par MB que par M, mais cette prise en charge reste incomplète.
Pain relief at piglet tail docking and castrationMeloxicam treatment of piglets is routinely performed in France to alleviate pain due to surgical castration. Two trials were carried out using a ...similar experimental protocol in order to 1.) evaluate the efficacy of meloxicam (M) to relieve pain due to tail docking (Q) performed at 2 or 5 days of age, 2.) evaluate the influence of tail docking (Q) and surgical castration (C) performed at the same time, and evaluate, in this situation, the efficacy of meloxicam associated or not with butorphanol (B) to relieve pain. In trial 1, piglets were tail docked with hot cautery iron at 2 or 5 days of age after i.m. injection of meloxicam (M) or saline (P) or were only handled (T). In trial 2, 2-day old piglets allocated to five experimental groups were compared: C/M, Q/M, QC/M, QC/MB, QC/P. Post-operative behaviour was recorded in 24 piglets per treatment and age and blood sampling was performed on 21 to 23 other piglets.Tail docking induced more tail trembling (P < 0.001) but other post-surgical behaviours did not differ significantly between treatments. Plasma cortisol was lower in T than in P piglets (P < 0.05) and intermediate in M piglets (77.2 ± 22.4, 86.7 ± 18.1 and 97.8 ± 25.5 ng/ml in T, M and P piglets, respectively), suggesting a partial pain relief. Pain-related indicators varied with age but it was not possible to conclude whether tail docking is more or less painful at one or the other age.Performing both interventions at 2 days of age induced an acute pain similar to that observed after castration alone. Standing and exploring were more frequent (P < 0.05) while plasma cortisol level was lower (P < 0.1) in QC/MB than in QC/M piglets. The responses of piglets suggested better pain alleviation by MB than by M treatment but this alleviation was still incomplete.
La prise en charge de la douleur lors de la caudectomie et de la castration des porceletsL’analgésie sous méloxicam est pratiquée en France lors de la castration des porcelets. Deux essais ont été mis en place pour 1.) évaluer l’intérêt d’une pratique similaire lors de la caudectomie (Q) pratiquée à 2 ou 5 jours d’âge, 2.) mesurer les effets de la réalisation simultanée de la caudectomie (Q) et de la castration (C), et envisager dans ce cas la possibilité de réduire la douleur via l’utilisation de méloxicam (M), associé ou non à du butorphanol (B). Dans l’essai 1, les porcelets de 2 ou 5 jours ont la queue coupée et cautérisée après l’administration de méloxicam ou d’un placebo (P) ou sont simplement manipulés (T). Dans l’essai 2, cinq traitements sont comparés chez des porcelets de 2 jours : C/M, Q/M , QC/M, QC/MB, QC/P. Le comportement post-opératoire est suivi pour 24 porcelets par traitement et par âge et un prélèvement sanguin effectué sur 21 à 23 autres animaux.La caudectomie entraîne des tremblements de la queue (P < 0,001) mais les autres comportements post-opératoires ne diffèrent pas entre les trois traitements. La concentration en cortisol plasmatique est plus faible chez les porcelets T que P (P < 0,05) et intermédiaire chez les M (respectivement 77,2 ± 22,4, 86,7 ± 18,1 et 97,8 ± 25,5 ng/ml pour T, M et P), suggérant une analgésie imparfaite. Les indicateurs de la douleur diffèrent en fonction de l’âge mais il n’est pas possible de conclure si l’intervention est plus ou moins douloureuse à l’un ou l’autre âge.La réalisation simultanée des interventions à 2 jours induit une douleur peu différente de celle due à la castration seule. Le temps passé debout et en exploration est plus élevé pour les porcelets QC/MB que QC/M (P < 0,05) et la teneur en cortisol plasmatique plus faible (P < 0,1). La douleur est mieux prise en charge par MB que par M, mais cette prise en charge reste incomplète.
Effects of piglet age on some indicators assessing pain at tail docking, with or without analgesia Courboulay, Valérie; Gillardeau, M; Meunier-Salaün, Marie-Christine ...
Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level: WAFL. 2014; 6. International Conference on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level (WAFL 2014), Clermont-Ferrand, FRA, 2014-09-03-2014-09-05, 253,
2014
Conference Proceeding
Pig tails are often docked at an early age in order to prevent tail biting later on. According tofarms, it is carried out in the first two days but may occur later, in combination with ...othermanagement procedures. An experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the effects ofage and analgesia on pain related to tail docking, using different types of indicators. Twoday-old piglets were allocated within litter to tail docking after being treated with meloxicam(M, 0.4 mg/kg, IM) or placebo (P) or to sham docking (S) (n=29/treatment). Movementsand intensity of vocalisations were recorded during tail docking. Postoperative behaviours(activity, posture, localisation and tail movements) were observed every 2 minutes for anhour at 3 periods: immediately after the procedure, 4 and 24 hours later, for 24 animais pertreatment. Blood samples were collected on 18 other piglets per treatment, 30 minutes afterthe procedure, to measure plasma cortisol. Wound healing was assessed on day 1, day 3 andday S. Piglets were weighed at birth, before the procedure and at weaning. A similar protocolwas applied on piglets treated at 5 days of age. Average daily gain from birth to weaningdid not differ between treatments (P>O.l) but tended to be higher in D2 than in DS piglets(P=0.1). Cortisol was higher in P than in S pigs (P
Effects of piglet age on some indicators assessing pain at tail docking, with or without analgesia Courboulay, Valérie; Gillardeau, M; Meunier-Salaün, Marie-Christine ...
Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level: WAFL. 2014; 6. International Conference on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level (WAFL 2014), Clermont-Ferrand, FRA, 2014-09-03-2014-09-05, 253,
2014
Conference Proceeding
Pig tails are often docked at an early age in order to prevent tail biting later on. According tofarms, it is carried out in the first two days but may occur later, in combination with ...othermanagement procedures. An experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the effects ofage and analgesia on pain related to tail docking, using different types of indicators. Twoday-old piglets were allocated within litter to tail docking after being treated with meloxicam(M, 0.4 mg/kg, IM) or placebo (P) or to sham docking (S) (n=29/treatment). Movementsand intensity of vocalisations were recorded during tail docking. Postoperative behaviours(activity, posture, localisation and tail movements) were observed every 2 minutes for anhour at 3 periods: immediately after the procedure, 4 and 24 hours later, for 24 animais pertreatment. Blood samples were collected on 18 other piglets per treatment, 30 minutes afterthe procedure, to measure plasma cortisol. Wound healing was assessed on day 1, day 3 andday S. Piglets were weighed at birth, before the procedure and at weaning. A similar protocolwas applied on piglets treated at 5 days of age. Average daily gain from birth to weaningdid not differ between treatments (P>O.l) but tended to be higher in D2 than in DS piglets(P=0.1). Cortisol was higher in P than in S pigs (P
In French commercial piggeries, piglets are often submitted to tail docking shortly after birth and to surgical castration a few days later with meloxicam used to alleviate pain due to surgical ...castration. A series of experiment was performed to evaluate different scenarios of analgesic treatment and age at docking and castration. In the present part of the study, we have compared tail docking alone, castration alone and tail docking + castration. The protocol was approved by the French ethical committee n°07 and authorized by the French ministry of Education and Research. Three piglets per litter were either tail docked with hot cautery iron (T) or castrated (C) or submitted to both procedures (TC) at 2 days of age after i.m. injection of meloxicam. Movements and intensity of vocalizations were registered during the interventions in 35 piglets/ group. Behaviour and tail movements were registered at 2-min interval during 60 min at H0 (the first hour following the intervention), H4 and H24 in 24 piglets/group. A jugular blood sampling was drawn at 30 min after the intervention in 20 additional piglets/group in order to measure plasma cortisol. Piglets were weighed at birth, just before the intervention and at weaning. Treatments were compared by use of linear model with treatment as fixed effect and litter as random effect. Behavioural data were transformed and analysed the same way, taking into account the period of observation as a repeated effect. Movements during the procedures did not differ among treatments. Mean intensity of vocalisations was higher during castration than tail docking (104.7±0.4 vs 94.2±1.0 dB, respectively) and was significantly higher at castration when piglets were previously tail docked (106.0±0.8 vs 103.5±1.0 dB, for TC and C respectively, P<0.01). Cortisol was higher in TC than in T pigs (185.1±17.6 vs 96.2±6.8 ng/ ml respectively, P<0.001) with C pigs being intermediate (148.5±12.3 ng/ml, P<0.1). After the procedure, TC piglets spent more time sitting than T piglets (P<0.05) with C pigs being intermediate; this was particularly the case during the first hour post-intervention. T and C piglets spent more time standing than TC piglets (P<0.01) and exploring was more frequent in T piglets than in C piglets (P<0.05). C piglets presented more ample tail movements and less trembling tails than T piglets (P<0.001). Our results suggest that acute pain was the highest in TC pigs, slightly lower in C pigs and more clearly lower in T pigs.
Consequences of environmental enrichment on the sexual and behavioural development of entire and castrated male pigsRearing entire male pigs may lead to welfare problems due to their sexual ...development. Enriching the environment could help toreduce these problems. To test this hypothesis, eighty males (groups of 10) were studied: 40 surgically castrated at 5‐6 days of ageand 40 left entire. Half of each sex type was reared in a conventional environment (1 m²/animal, slatted floor) and the other halfin an enriched environment (2.5m²/animal, straw and outdoor run). Aggressive acts (knocks, biting…) and sexual acts werecounted for one hour, three times a month, from 3 to 5 months of age. Skin lesions were counted the day before theseobservations. Plasma testosterone was also assessed at 90, 120 and 153 days. Testosterone level was higher in entire males thanin castrates (P<0.05), and was not influenced by the environment (P>0.05). Entire males tended to be more aggressive thancastrates at 3 months of age (P=0.06), with aggressiveness decreasing thereafter. Enriching the environment led to a decrease inaggressiveness of castrates (P<0.05), and a general decrease in the number of skin lesions (P<0.05). More entire males mountedtheir penmates than castrates, regardless of their age (P<0.05). Regarding entire males, the amount of mounting was higher inenriched housing at 4 months of age (P<0.05). Thus, environmental enrichment led to a decrease in skin lesions that wasfavourable to the welfare of pigs but the sexual development and aggressiveness of entire male pigs was weakly modified.
Castration is notably used to reduce pigs’ aggressiveness towards humans and facilitate handling. However, there are no scientific data to confirm this. We compared entire and castrated male pigs ...reared in a conventional or an enriched environment.Eighty males (groups of 10) were studied: 40 surgically castrated at 5‐6 days of age and 40 left entire. Half of each type was reared in a conventional environment (1 m²/animal, slatted floor) and the other half in an enriched environment (2.5 m²/animal, strawand outdoor run). We evaluated the pigs’ manageability during weighing and interactions with humans at 80 and 140 days of age in a testing pen. Animals from the enriched environment required less pushing to enter the weighing cage than those from theconventional environment. During the experiment, no entire male expressed any aggressive behaviour towards the human present. At 80 days of age, entire males stayed closer to the human for longer periods of time than castrates, and they reacted tothe human’s departure with an increase in locomotor activity. Regardless of age, pigs from the enriched environment were less likely to stand next to the human than those from the conventional environment, and they vocalized more in the human’spresence and after his departure.These results do not support the bad reputation of entire males (aggressive, difficult to handle). Enriching the environment did not change the effects of non‐castration on the human‐animal relationship but did lead to less interest in the human involved in theexperiment.
Consequences of environmental enrichment on the sexual and behavioural development of entire and castrated male pigsRearing entire male pigs may lead to welfare problems due to their sexual ...development. Enriching the environment could help toreduce these problems. To test this hypothesis, eighty males (groups of 10) were studied: 40 surgically castrated at 5‐6 days of ageand 40 left entire. Half of each sex type was reared in a conventional environment (1 m²/animal, slatted floor) and the other halfin an enriched environment (2.5m²/animal, straw and outdoor run). Aggressive acts (knocks, biting…) and sexual acts werecounted for one hour, three times a month, from 3 to 5 months of age. Skin lesions were counted the day before theseobservations. Plasma testosterone was also assessed at 90, 120 and 153 days. Testosterone level was higher in entire males thanin castrates (P<0.05), and was not influenced by the environment (P>0.05). Entire males tended to be more aggressive thancastrates at 3 months of age (P=0.06), with aggressiveness decreasing thereafter. Enriching the environment led to a decrease inaggressiveness of castrates (P<0.05), and a general decrease in the number of skin lesions (P<0.05). More entire males mountedtheir penmates than castrates, regardless of their age (P<0.05). Regarding entire males, the amount of mounting was higher inenriched housing at 4 months of age (P<0.05). Thus, environmental enrichment led to a decrease in skin lesions that wasfavourable to the welfare of pigs but the sexual development and aggressiveness of entire male pigs was weakly modified.
