Population Health and Reproduction

McCowan, B. (1995). A new quantitative technique for categorizing whistles using simulated signals and whistles from captive bottlenose dolphins (Delphindae Tursiops truncatus). Ethology 100: 177- 193. [PDF]

McCowan, B. and Reiss, D. (1995). Quantitative comparison of whistle repertoires from captive adult bottlenose dolphins (Delphindae Tursiops truncatus): a re-evaluation of the signature whistle hypothesis. Ethology 100: 193-209. [PDF]

McCowan, B. and Reiss, D. (1995). Whistle contour development in captive-born infant bottlenose dolphins: role of learning. Journal of Comparative Psychology 109 (3): 242-260. [PDF]

McCowan, B. and Reiss, D. (1995). Maternal aggressive contact vocalizations in captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): wide-band, low frequency signals during mother/aunt-infant interactions. Zoo Biology 14 (4): 293-310. [PDF]

Reiss, D., McCowan, B. and Marino, L. (1997). Communicative and other cognitive characteristics of dolphins. Trends in Cognitive Science 1 (4): 140-145. [PDF]

McCowan, B., Reiss, D. and Gubbins, C. M. (1998). Social familiarity influences whistle acoustic structure in adult female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Aquatic Mammals 24: 21-40. [PDF]

McCowan, B., Hanser, S. F. and Doyle, L. R. (1999). Quantitative tools for comparing animal communication systems: information theory applied to bottlenose dolphin whistle repertoires. Animal Behaviour 57: 409-419. [PDF]

McCowan, B., Marino, L., Vance, E., Walke, L. and Reiss, D. (2000). Bubble ring play of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): implications for cognition. Journal of Comparative Psychology 114: 98-106. [PDF]

McCowan, B. and Newman, J. D. (2000). The role of learning in chuck call recognition by squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus). Behaviour 137: 279-300. [PDF]

McCowan, B., Franceschini, N. V. and Vicino, G. A. (2001). Age differences and developmental trends in alarm peep responses by squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus). American Journal of Primatology 53(1): 19-31. [PDF]

McCowan, B. and Reiss, D. (2001). The fallacy of 'signature whistles' in bottlenose dolphins: a comparative perspective of ‘signature information’ in animal vocalizations. Animal Behaviour 62 (6): 1151-1162. [PDF]

McCowan, B. and Hooper, S. L. (2002). Individual acoustic variation in Belding’s ground squirrel alarm chirps in the High Sierra Nevada. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 111, 1157-1160. [PDF]

McCowan, B., DiLorenzo, A. M., Abichandani, S., Borelli,C., and Cullor, J. S. (2002). Bioacoustic tools for enhancing animal productivity and management: Effects of recorded calf vocalizations on milk production in dairy cows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 77, 13-20. [PDF]

McCowan, B., Doyle, L. R. and Hanser, S. F. (2002). Using information theory to assess the diversity, complexity and development of communicative repertoires. Journal of Comparative Psychology 116, 166-172. [PDF]

Rabin, L., McCowan, B., Hooper, S. and Owings, D. (2003). Anthropogenic noise and its effect on animal communication: An interface between comparative psychology and conservation biology. International Journal of Comparative Psychology 16, 172-192. [PDF]

Yin, S. and McCowan, B. (2004) Barking in domestic dogs: context specificity and individual identification. Animal Behaviour 68, 343-355. [PDF]

McCowan, B., Doyle, L. R., Jenkins, J. and Hanser, S. F. (2005) The appropriate use of Zipf’s law in animal communication studies. Animal Behaviour, 69, F1-F7. [PDF]

Kirk, J. H., McCowan, B., Atwill, E. R., Glenn, K. S., Higginbotham, G. E., Collar, C. A. Catillo, A., Reed, B. A., Peterson, N. P., Cullor, J. (2005). Epidemiology and Antibiotic Resistance of “Environmental Streptococci” isolated from bulk tank milk collected on California dairies. Journal of Dairy Science, 88, 3710–3720. [PDF]

Wood, J. D., McCowan, B., Langbauer, W. R., Viljoen, J. and Hart, L. (2005). Classification of African elephant Loxodonta africana rumbles using acoustic parameters and cluster analysis. Bioacoustics, 15, 143-161. [PDF]

Randall, J., McCowan, B., Collins, K., Hooper, S.L., and Rogovin, K. (2005). Alarm signals of the great gerbil: acoustic variation by predator context, sex, age, individual and family group. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 118: 1-9. [PDF]

McCowan, B. (2006). Are bubblestream whistles unrepresentative of a bottlenose dolphin’s whistle repertoire? Marine Mammal Science, 22, 492–495. [PDF]

Hooper, S. L., Reiss, D. R., Carter, M. and McCowan, B. (2006). Importance of contextual saliency on vocal imitation by bottlenose dolphins. International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 19, 116-128. [PDF]

McCowan, B., Cardona, C., DiLorenzo, A. M., Jeffrey, J. and Klingborg, D. (2006). Effects of induced molting on the well-being of egg-laying chickens. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 9, 9–23. [PDF]

Khan, K, Markowitz, H. and McCowan, B. (2006). Vocal development in captive harbor seal pups, Phoca vitulina richardii: age, sex, and individual differences. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 120, 1684--1694. [PDF]

McCowan B. and Rommeck, I. (2006). Bioacoustic monitoring of aggression in group-housed rhesus macaques. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 9, 261–268. [PDF]

Coss, R., McCowan, B. and Ramakrishnan, U. (2007). Threat-related acoustical differences in alarm calls by wild bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) elicited by python and leopard models. Ethology, 113, 352-367. [PDF]

Marino, L., Connor, R. C., Fordyce, R. E., Herman, L. M., Hof, P. R., Lefebvre, L., Lusseau, D., McCowan, B., Nimchinsky, E., Pack, A. A, Rendell, L., Reidenberg, J. S., Reiss, D., Uhen, M. D., Van der Gucht, E., Whitehead, H. (2008). Cetaceans have complex brains for complex cognition. Public Library of Science, 5, e139. [PDF]

Marino, L, Connor, R. C., Fordyce, R. E., Herman, L. M., Hof, P. R., Lefebvre L, Lusseau, D., McCowan, B., Nimchinsky, E. A., Pack, A. A., Reidenberg, J. S., Reiss, D., Rendell, L. , Uhen, M. D. , Van der Gucht, E., Whitehead, H. (2008). A claim in search of evidence: Reply to Manger’s thermogenesis hypothesis of cetacean brain structure. . Biological Reviews, 83, 417-40. [PDF]

McCowan, B., Anderson, K., Heagerty, A. and Cameron, A. (2008). The utility of social network analysis in primate behavioral management. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 109, 396–405. [PDF]

Wyman, M. T., Mooring, M. S., McCowan, B., and Hart, L. Bellow amplitude of bison reflects male quality, motivation, and seasonal condition. Animal Behavior, In press.

Doyle, L., McCowan, B., Hanser, S., Bucci, T., Chyba, C., and Blue, E. (2008). Applicability of information theory to the quantification of responses to anthropogenic noise by Southeast Alaskan humpback whales. Entropy,10, 33-46.

Rommeck, I., McCowan, B., Anderson, K., Heagerty, A. and Cameron, A. (2009). Risk factors and remediation of self-injurious and self-abuse behavior in rhesus macaques. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 12, 61-72. [PDF]

Stoddard, R. A., Atwill, R. A., Conrad, P.A., Byrne, S., Jang, S. Lawrence, J. McCowan, B., Gulland, F. M. D. (2009). The effect of rehabilitation of northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) on antimicrobial resistance of commensal Escherichia coli. Veterinary Microbiology, 133, 264-71. [PDF]



	Brenda McCowan Associate Professional Researcher/ Research Behaviorist Email:bjmccowan@ucdavis.edu Department of Population Health & Reproduction California National Primate Research Center University of California, Davis Population Health and Reproduction 1114 Tupper Hall Davis, CA 95616

Research	McCowan Lab of Behavioral Management Behavioral biology and ecology with an emphasis on both the basic and applied aspects of animal behavior and communication for enhancing wildlife health and conservation, captive exotic species management, and domesticated animal production, health and well-being.

Graduate Groups	Animal Behavior Graduate Group Graduate Group in Ecology Animal Biology Graduate Program

Affiliations	Alaska Whale Foundation SETI Institute Hubbs-Sea World Institute Santa Fe Institute

Selected Publications	McCowan, B. (1995). A new quantitative technique for categorizing whistles using simulated signals and whistles from captive bottlenose dolphins (Delphindae Tursiops truncatus). Ethology 100: 177- 193. [PDF] McCowan, B. and Reiss, D. (1995). Quantitative comparison of whistle repertoires from captive adult bottlenose dolphins (Delphindae Tursiops truncatus): a re-evaluation of the signature whistle hypothesis. Ethology 100: 193-209. [PDF] McCowan, B. and Reiss, D. (1995). Whistle contour development in captive-born infant bottlenose dolphins: role of learning. Journal of Comparative Psychology 109 (3): 242-260. [PDF] McCowan, B. and Reiss, D. (1995). Maternal aggressive contact vocalizations in captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): wide-band, low frequency signals during mother/aunt-infant interactions. Zoo Biology 14 (4): 293-310. [PDF] Reiss, D., McCowan, B. and Marino, L. (1997). Communicative and other cognitive characteristics of dolphins. Trends in Cognitive Science 1 (4): 140-145. [PDF] McCowan, B., Reiss, D. and Gubbins, C. M. (1998). Social familiarity influences whistle acoustic structure in adult female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Aquatic Mammals 24: 21-40. [PDF] McCowan, B., Hanser, S. F. and Doyle, L. R. (1999). Quantitative tools for comparing animal communication systems: information theory applied to bottlenose dolphin whistle repertoires. Animal Behaviour 57: 409-419. [PDF] McCowan, B., Marino, L., Vance, E., Walke, L. and Reiss, D. (2000). Bubble ring play of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): implications for cognition. Journal of Comparative Psychology 114: 98-106. [PDF] McCowan, B. and Newman, J. D. (2000). The role of learning in chuck call recognition by squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus). Behaviour 137: 279-300. [PDF] McCowan, B., Franceschini, N. V. and Vicino, G. A. (2001). Age differences and developmental trends in alarm peep responses by squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus). American Journal of Primatology 53(1): 19-31. [PDF] McCowan, B. and Reiss, D. (2001). The fallacy of 'signature whistles' in bottlenose dolphins: a comparative perspective of ‘signature information’ in animal vocalizations. Animal Behaviour 62 (6): 1151-1162. [PDF] McCowan, B. and Hooper, S. L. (2002). Individual acoustic variation in Belding’s ground squirrel alarm chirps in the High Sierra Nevada. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 111, 1157-1160. [PDF] McCowan, B., DiLorenzo, A. M., Abichandani, S., Borelli,C., and Cullor, J. S. (2002). Bioacoustic tools for enhancing animal productivity and management: Effects of recorded calf vocalizations on milk production in dairy cows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 77, 13-20. [PDF] McCowan, B., Doyle, L. R. and Hanser, S. F. (2002). Using information theory to assess the diversity, complexity and development of communicative repertoires. Journal of Comparative Psychology 116, 166-172. [PDF] Rabin, L., McCowan, B., Hooper, S. and Owings, D. (2003). Anthropogenic noise and its effect on animal communication: An interface between comparative psychology and conservation biology. International Journal of Comparative Psychology 16, 172-192. [PDF] Yin, S. and McCowan, B. (2004) Barking in domestic dogs: context specificity and individual identification. Animal Behaviour 68, 343-355. [PDF] McCowan, B., Doyle, L. R., Jenkins, J. and Hanser, S. F. (2005) The appropriate use of Zipf’s law in animal communication studies. Animal Behaviour, 69, F1-F7. [PDF] Kirk, J. H., McCowan, B., Atwill, E. R., Glenn, K. S., Higginbotham, G. E., Collar, C. A. Catillo, A., Reed, B. A., Peterson, N. P., Cullor, J. (2005). Epidemiology and Antibiotic Resistance of “Environmental Streptococci” isolated from bulk tank milk collected on California dairies. Journal of Dairy Science, 88, 3710–3720. [PDF] Wood, J. D., McCowan, B., Langbauer, W. R., Viljoen, J. and Hart, L. (2005). Classification of African elephant Loxodonta africana rumbles using acoustic parameters and cluster analysis. Bioacoustics, 15, 143-161. [PDF] Randall, J., McCowan, B., Collins, K., Hooper, S.L., and Rogovin, K. (2005). Alarm signals of the great gerbil: acoustic variation by predator context, sex, age, individual and family group. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 118: 1-9. [PDF] McCowan, B. (2006). Are bubblestream whistles unrepresentative of a bottlenose dolphin’s whistle repertoire? Marine Mammal Science, 22, 492–495. [PDF] Hooper, S. L., Reiss, D. R., Carter, M. and McCowan, B. (2006). Importance of contextual saliency on vocal imitation by bottlenose dolphins. International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 19, 116-128. [PDF] McCowan, B., Cardona, C., DiLorenzo, A. M., Jeffrey, J. and Klingborg, D. (2006). Effects of induced molting on the well-being of egg-laying chickens. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 9, 9–23. [PDF] Khan, K, Markowitz, H. and McCowan, B. (2006). Vocal development in captive harbor seal pups, Phoca vitulina richardii: age, sex, and individual differences. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 120, 1684--1694. [PDF] McCowan B. and Rommeck, I. (2006). Bioacoustic monitoring of aggression in group-housed rhesus macaques. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 9, 261–268. [PDF] Coss, R., McCowan, B. and Ramakrishnan, U. (2007). Threat-related acoustical differences in alarm calls by wild bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) elicited by python and leopard models. Ethology, 113, 352-367. [PDF] Marino, L., Connor, R. C., Fordyce, R. E., Herman, L. M., Hof, P. R., Lefebvre, L., Lusseau, D., McCowan, B., Nimchinsky, E., Pack, A. A, Rendell, L., Reidenberg, J. S., Reiss, D., Uhen, M. D., Van der Gucht, E., Whitehead, H. (2008). Cetaceans have complex brains for complex cognition. Public Library of Science, 5, e139. [PDF] Marino, L, Connor, R. C., Fordyce, R. E., Herman, L. M., Hof, P. R., Lefebvre L, Lusseau, D., McCowan, B., Nimchinsky, E. A., Pack, A. A., Reidenberg, J. S., Reiss, D., Rendell, L. , Uhen, M. D. , Van der Gucht, E., Whitehead, H. (2008). A claim in search of evidence: Reply to Manger’s thermogenesis hypothesis of cetacean brain structure. . Biological Reviews, 83, 417-40. [PDF] McCowan, B., Anderson, K., Heagerty, A. and Cameron, A. (2008). The utility of social network analysis in primate behavioral management. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 109, 396–405. [PDF] Wyman, M. T., Mooring, M. S., McCowan, B., and Hart, L. Bellow amplitude of bison reflects male quality, motivation, and seasonal condition. Animal Behavior, In press. Doyle, L., McCowan, B., Hanser, S., Bucci, T., Chyba, C., and Blue, E. (2008). Applicability of information theory to the quantification of responses to anthropogenic noise by Southeast Alaskan humpback whales. Entropy,10, 33-46. Rommeck, I., McCowan, B., Anderson, K., Heagerty, A. and Cameron, A. (2009). Risk factors and remediation of self-injurious and self-abuse behavior in rhesus macaques. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 12, 61-72. [PDF] Stoddard, R. A., Atwill, R. A., Conrad, P.A., Byrne, S., Jang, S. Lawrence, J. McCowan, B., Gulland, F. M. D. (2009). The effect of rehabilitation of northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) on antimicrobial resistance of commensal Escherichia coli. Veterinary Microbiology, 133, 264-71. [PDF]