Dr. rer. nat. Jan Langbein
Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN)
working group Animal Behaviour & Welfare
Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2
18196 Dummerstorf
working group Animal Behaviour & Welfare
Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2
18196 Dummerstorf
Research interests
- Animal husbandry is currently characterized by increasing levels of automation and introduction of advanced self-management systems. Animals have to learn automated routines and processes of different level of complexity. Various studies have shown that animals can learn such procedures often on the basis of associative learning. Until now, a general paradigm in research of learning in animals is to test single individuals in a specific learning environment and under human supervision. We go a different way.
- To study various aspects of visual discrimination learning in dwarf goats, we apply an approach of individual self controlled learning in normal social setting by using a fully automated, learning device, which is integrated in the animals home pen. This corresponds better with animal learning under husbandry conditions.
- In a long term project we investigate how goats learn to discriminate simple and complex visual signs and how flexible their learning behaviour and memory is. We search for evidence of higher learning abilities in goats like concept learning (oddity, match to sample). We want to test the influence of external (e.g. management practices) and internal (e.g. dominance status, temperament) factors on learning. Further, we want to quantify stress related to learning – both acute mental stress and long lasting psychological stress. Moreover, we investigate if successful learning of cognitive challenges has a positive effect on animal welfare in the long run (cognitive environmental enrichment). To evaluate stress related to learning online, we apply telemetric measurement of heart beat activity and analyse heart rate and heart rate variability. Other research interests are higher cognitive capabilities and emotions of farm animals, temperament in cattle and spatial-temporal pattern of behaviour of cattle in loose housing systems.
Curriculum Vitae
- 2002-present: Senior scientist at the Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) Dummerstorf, Institute of Behavioural Physiology (FBN), Applied Ethlogy Unit
Research Topics: learning behaviour and cognitive abilities of dwarf goats and pigs; cognitive enrichment; positive emotions; social dominance and aggression; temperament of cattle; analysis of heart rate variability in relation to stress and pain - 1997-2001: Institute for Applied Agroecology, Research Group Farm Animal Ecology, Rostock
Research Topics: mother-young bond in cattle; ethological aspect of farm management of game species; hear rate variability in cattle – indication of stress - 1992-1997: Institute for Zoo Biology and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin
Research Topics: biorhythms in free ranging large ungulates; perinatal behaviour and mother-lamb relationship in free ranging mouflons; time and space pattern in wild ungulates - 1991-1992: Humboldt University of Berlin, Department of Biology, Institute of Behavioural Sciences
Research Topics: bioacoustics in mammals - 1990-1992: Doctoral Thesis (Ph.D.), Humboldt University of Berlin, Department of Biology, Institute of Behavioural Sciences
"Comparative investigations on the grazing behaviour of cattle (Holstein Friesien and Siboney de Cuba) at the tropical pasture (Cuba)" - 1984-1989: Master Thesis (Diplom), Humboldt University of Berlin, Department of Biology, Institute of Behavioural Sciences
"Investigations on the ontognesis of the function of the thermoregulation system in Cairina moschata peri partum" - 1981-1984: Military service
- 1978-1981: Professional training as cattle breeder
- Birth date: 21.04.1962, birth place: Staaken (Germany)
Teaching
- Agrar- und umweltwissenschaftliche Fakultät der Universität Rostock
Ethology; Behaviour of cattle; Behaviour of swine; Animal welfare
Publications
Wirthgen, E.; Höflich, C.; Spitschak, M.; Helmer, C.; Brand, B.; Langbein, J.; Metzger, F.; Hoeflich, A. (2016):
Quantitative Western ligand blotting reveals common patterns and differential features of IGFBP-fingerprints in domestic ruminant breeds and species. Growth Horm IGF Res 26: 42-49
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ghir.2015.11.001
Fóris, B.; Trißl, S.; Graunke, K. L.; Langbein, J. (2015):
Differences in observable traits during veterinary treatment in dairy and beef cattle. In: Proceedings : XXV Jubilee International Congress of the Hungarian Association for Buiatrics, September 13-16, 2015, Budapest (Magyar Allatorvosok Lapja , 137.2015, Suppl.1) (978-963-12-3377-3) (137): 100-102
Brand, B.; Hadlich, F.; Brandt, B.; Schauer, N.; Graunke, K. L.; Langbein, J.; Repsilber, D.; Ponsuksili, S.; Schwerin, M. (2015):
Temperament type specific metabolite profiles of the prefrontal cortex and serum in cattle. Plos One 10 (4): e0125044, 1-21
https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0125044
Stubsjøen, S.M.; Knappe-Poindecker, M.; Langbein, J.; Fjeldaas, T.; Bohlin, J. (2015):
Assessment of chronic stress in sheep (part II): Exploring heart ratevariability as a non-invasive measure to evaluate cardiac regulation. Small Ruminant Res 133: 30-35
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.smallrumres.2015.10.026
Stubsjøen, S.M.; Bohlin, J.; Dahl, E.; Knappe-Poindecker, M.; Fjeldaas, T.; Lepschy, M.; Palme, R.; Langbein, J.; Ropstad, E. (2015):
Assessment of chronic stress in sheep (part I): The use of cortisol and cortisone in hair as non-invasive biological markers. Small Ruminant Res 132: 25-31
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2015.09.015
Nawroth, C.; von Borell, E.; Langbein, J. (2015):
"Ziegen, die auf Männer starren" - Differenzieren Zwergziegen (Capra aegagrus hircus) zwischen menschlichen Aufmerksamkeitszuständen und intentionalen Handlungen? . In: Aktuelle Arbeiten zur artgemäßen Tierhaltung 2015 (KTBL-Schrift , 510) KTBL, Darmstadt (978-3-945088-13-5): 26-35"
Nawroth, C.; von Borell, E.; Langbein, J. (2015):
Object permanence in the dwarfs goat (Capra aegagrus hircus): Perseveration errors and the tracking of complex movements of hidden objects. Appl Anim Behav Sci 167: 20-26
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2015.03.010
Nawroth, C.; von Borell, E.; Langbein, J. (2015):
Goats that stare at men: dwarf goats alter their behaviour in response to human head orientation, but do not spontaneously use head direction as a cue in a food-related context. ANIM COGN 18 (1): 65-73
https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10071-014-0777-5
Krause, A.; Tuchscherer, A.; Puppe, B.; Langbein, J. (2015):
Interchangeability of electrocardiography and blood pressure measurement for determining heart rate and heart rate variability in free-moving pigs in various behavioral contexts. Front Vet Sci 2: 52, 1-9
https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2015.00052
Stucke, D.; Minero, M.; Dalla Costa, E.; Große Ruse, M.; Langbein, J.; Hall, S.; Lebelt, D. (2015):
Praxistaugliche Schmerzindikatoren beim Pferd. In: Schmerzen, Leiden und Schäden - erkennen, messen und bewerten : 14. Internationale Fachtagung zu Fragen von Verhaltenskunde und Tierhaltung der DVG-Fachgruppe Ethologie und Tierhaltung , 20. Internationale Fachtagung zum Thema Tierschutz der DVG-Fachgruppe Tierschutz , München, 19. bis 21. März 2015 DVG Service, Gießen (ISBN 978-3-86345-243-8): 157-168
Krause, A.; Zebunke, M.; Tuchscherer, A.; Bellmann, O.; Mohr, E.; Langbein, J.; Puppe, B. (2014):
Verhalten und autonome Reaktion von Schweinen als Indikator für Wohlbefinden in unterschiedlichen Haltungssituationen. In: 15th Day of the Doctoral Student : abstracts, 13 May 2014 Dummerstorf (Schriftenreihe / Leibniz-Institut für Nutztierbiologie , 23) (Christa Kühn, Gunther Viereck, Hrsg.): 17-20
Patt, A.; Gygax, L.; Wechsler, B.; Hillmann, E.; Langbein, J.; Keil, N. (2014):
Übereinstimmung zwischen Herzfrequenzvariabillität, Cortisolmetaboliten-Konzentration und Verhalten bei der Eingliederung einzelner Ziegen in Kleingruppen. KTBL-Schrift 505: 66-75
Stucke, D.; Große Ruse, M.; Langbein, J.; Lebelt, D. (2014):
Die Bedeutung der Herzfrequenzvariabilitätsanalyse als Schmerzindikator bei Pferden. KTBL-Schrift 505: 54-65
Nawroth, C.; von Borell, E.; Langbein, J. (2014):
Zwergziegen folgen komplexen Bewegungen verdeckter Objekte in einem Wahlversuch. KTBL-Schrift 505: 16-23
Krause, A.; Zebunke, M.; Langbein, J.; Puppe, B. (2014):
Verhalten und autonome Reaktionen von Schweinen im Kontext der Fütterung. In: Aktuelle Arbeiten zur artgemäßen Tierhaltung 2014 (KTBL-Schrift , 505) KTBL, Darmstadt (978-3-941583-95-5): 242-244
Nawroth, C.; von Borell, E.; Langbein, J. (2014):
Exclusion performance in dwarf goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and sheep (Ovis orientalis aries). Plos One 9 (4): 1-8
https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0093534
Langbein, J. (2013):
Lernverhalten von landwirtschaftlichen Nutztieren am Beispiel Zwergziege und Schwein. In: Aktuelle Probleme des Tierschutzes : Vorträge und Kurzfassungen , 33. Fortbildungsveranstaltung der ATF-Fachgruppe Tierschutz, ... ATF, Gehrden (978-3-00-043326-9): 20-30
Langbein, J.; Nawroth, C.; von Borell, Eberhard (2013):
Ziegen, aber nicht Schafe, nutzen indirekte Informationen in einem Zweifach-Wahlversuch. In: Aktuelle Arbeiten zur artgemäßen Tierhaltung 2013 (KTBL-Schrift , 503) KTBL, Darmstadt (978-3-941583-87-0): 23-32
Graunke, K. L.; Nürnberg, G.; Repsilber, D.; Puppe, B.; Langbein, J. (2013):
Describing temperament in an ungulate: A multidimensional approach. Plos One 8 (9): e74579, 1-12
https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0074579