Laboratory of Fish and Amphibian Ethology, Behavioural Biology Unit, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Liège, 22 Quai van Beneden, 4020, Liège, Belgium.
Behav Res Methods. 2011 Jun;43(2):568-76. doi: 10.3758/s13428-011-0058-z.
In various research fields, biomarkers are now widely used as tools for assessing individual integrity. The recent advances in quantification methods for behavioral patterns, such as computerized video-tracking procedures, make them valuable biomarkers. However, the corollary of these novelties is that they remain relatively unknown and unused. In this study, we show that such tools can assess the validity of research methods, such as individual recognition. To demonstrate this, we employed, as a model, a marking method (passive integrated transponder [PIT] tagging) widely used in amphibians. Detailed visual observations and video-tracking methods were complementary in highlighting components at different behavioral scales: locomotion, feeding, and breeding. We illustrate the scientific and ethical adequacy of the targeted marking method but also suggest that more studies should integrate behavioral analyses. Such biomarkers are a powerful tool for assessing conservation concerns when other techniques cannot detect detrimental effects.
在各个研究领域中，生物标志物现在被广泛用作评估个体完整性的工具。行为模式的定量方法的最新进展，如计算机化的视频跟踪程序，使它们成为有价值的生物标志物。然而，这些新颖性的必然结果是，它们仍然相对未知和未使用。在这项研究中，我们表明，这些工具可以评估研究方法的有效性，例如个体识别。为了证明这一点，我们采用了一种广泛应用于两栖动物的标记方法（被动集成式 transponder [PIT] 标记）作为模型。详细的视觉观察和视频跟踪方法在强调不同行为尺度的组成部分方面是互补的：运动、进食和繁殖。我们展示了目标标记方法的科学和伦理适当性，但也建议更多的研究应该整合行为分析。当其他技术无法检测到有害影响时，这些生物标志物是评估保护问题的有力工具。
