Running head: HUMAN INFLUENCE ON ORYCTOLAGUS CUNICULUS Callis 1

Human Influence on the Instinctual Preferences of Oryctolagus cuniculus

Cameron Callis

Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science

Research Proposal
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Introduction

Oryctolagus cuniculus, commonly known as the domestic rabbit, is a typical household

pet because of their friendliness and intelligence (Crowell-Davis 2007). They can be found

worldwide and are descended from the European Wild rabbit. Many unique domestic breeds

have developed. The breed that will be used, the Holland Lop, is a dwarf breed, meaning they

weigh three to six pounds on average. They come in a wide variety of colors and live eight to

twelve years on average. They are described as being short, stumpy, and thick set, with a broad

chest and a well rounded hindquarter. They are well muscled, and have an especially wide,

massive head (Standard of Perfection 2016). Holland Lops originated in the Netherlands in 1949,

and were accepted into the American Rabbit Breeders Association in 1979. They are now one of

the most popular breeds due to their size and temperament (American Rabbit Breeders

Association 2000).

In the wild, rabbits are generally wary of humans and will avoid them. Through years of

domestication and selective breeding for friendlier traits, this has gone away. Domestic rabbits

today are generally friendly and curious towards all humans they meet (Crowell-Davis 2007).

This experiment will be testing if a domestic rabbit would still choose food over a human. The

way this will be tested is putting 10 rabbits through a Y-maze, where they will be forced to

choose between a human standing at one end or a piece of food at the other. The goal is to

determine whether human influence in domesticating rabbit has changed their primal instinct to

go towards food or not. The experiment will be using live rabbits instead of a computer

simulation or lower life form because rabbits are highly intelligent and are prey animals, which is
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a unique combination. A computer also could not learn or process a reward system the same way

a live animal does. This study is important because it could show if human influence can actually

change a rabbit’s primal responses, and if it is possible to condition a rabbit to ignore said

responses.

Hypothesis

My hypothesis is that the rabbits will not choose to go towards the human, because although they

have been domesticated to enjoy human company, I do not think that it could change their

instinctual need to find food.

Methodology

● Acquire 10 rabbits

● Build Y-maze out of cardboard

● Put rabbits in Y-maze one at a time with a piece of food in one leg of the maze and a

human standing at the other.

● Record choices of each rabbit

● Repeat once a day for 14 consecutive days

● Graph choices and determine which endpoint the rabbits chose most often

Estimated Timeline
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June-August

● Gather rabbits and materials needed

● Build maze

September

● Conduct experiment and record choices each time

October-November

● Graph choices and analyze. Determine which the rabbits chose most often.

December-January

● Work on poster and oral presentation; write a discussion on results

February-March

● Put finishing details on project and present at science fair

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Resources

Brun, Dennebouy, Monnerot, Mulsant, Queney, & Vachot. (2002). Different Levels of Human

Intervention in Domestic Rabbits: Effects on Genetic Diversity. Retrieved from

https://academic.oup.com/jhered/article/93/3/205/2187364

Brusini, I., Carneiro, M., Wang, C., Rubin, C., Ring, H., Afonso, S., . . . Andersson, L. (2018,

July 10). Changes in brain architecture are consistent with altered fear processing in

domestic rabbits. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29941556

Carniero, M, et al. (2014, August 29). Rabbit genome analysis reveals a polygenic basis for

phenotypic change during domestication. Retrieved from

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/345/6200/1074.abstract?sid=65d91094-49b2-4973

-b025-ecff85f9a894

Crowell-Davis, S.L. (2007). Behavior problems in pet rabbits. Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine,

16 (1), 38-44. doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2006.11.022

Official guidebook raising better rabbits & cavies. (2000). Bloomington, IL: American Rabbit

Breeders Assn.

Patry, K. (2014). The rabbit-raising problem solver: Your questions answered about housing,

feeding, behavior, health care, breeding, and kindling. North Adams, MA: Storey

Publishing.

Standard of Perfection. (2016). American Rabbit Breeders Association.

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