World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Award Badge
Animal Science and Veterinary
Czechia
2025

D-Index & Metrics

Animal Science and Veterinary

D-Index
39
Citations
6365
World Ranking
1256
National Ranking
8

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2025 - Research.com Animal Science and Veterinary in Czechia Leader Award
  • 2019 - Honory Fellow of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE)

Overview

Marek Špinka is affiliated with the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague in the Czech Republic. Their research primarily focuses on areas within veterinary science, psychology, and biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology. The scientist's work spans various fields of study and subfields, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach.

The main fields of study for Marek Špinka include:

  • Veterinary
  • Psychology
  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Within these fields, the subfields of study are diverse and include:

  • Small Animals
  • Genetics
  • Social Psychology
  • Animal Science and Zoology
  • Ecology

The scientist's research interests are reflected in the topics of their published work, which cover:

  • Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
  • Human-Animal Interaction Studies
  • Primate Behavior and Ecology
  • Neuroendocrine Regulation and Behavior
  • Effects of Environmental Stressors on Livestock
  • Meat and Animal Product Quality
  • Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact

Špinka has published in several journal venues, with notable frequency in:

  • Scientific Reports
  • Applied Animal Behaviour Science
  • Biology Letters
  • Journal of Dairy Science
  • Ecology and Evolution

The following are some recent publications authored or co-authored by Marek Špinka:

  • "Classification of pig calls produced from birth to slaughter according to their emotional valence and context of production," 2022, Scientific Reports
  • "A consensus on the definition of positive animal welfare," 2025, Biology Letters
  • "The effect of pair housing on dairy calf health, performance, and behavior," 2021, Journal of Dairy Science
  • "Negative play contagion in calves," 2020, Scientific Reports
  • "Dominance hierarchy in groups of pregnant sows: Characteristics and identification of related indicators," 2022, Applied Animal Behaviour Science

Frequent collaborators of Marek Špinka include:

  • Céline Tallet
  • A.B. Lawrence
  • Radka Šárová
  • Sandra Düpjan
  • Jean-Loup Rault

In 2019, Marek Špinka was recognized as an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE).

Best Publications

  • Mammalian Play: Training for the Unexpected

    Marek Spinka;Ruth C. Newberry;Marc Bekoff

  • Animal play and animal welfare

    Suzanne D.E. Held;Marek Špinka

  • General Principles for the welfare of animals in production systems: The underlying science and its application

    David Fraser;Ian J.H. Duncan;Sandra A. Edwards;Temple Grandin

  • Animal agency, animal awareness and animal welfare

    M Špinka

  • Social dimension of emotions and its implication for animal welfare

    Marek Špinka

  • The role of nursing frequency in milk production in domestic pigs.

    M. Špinka;Gudrun Illmann;Bo Algers;Z. Štétková

  • Effects of early play experience on play behaviour of piglets after weaning

    Tammy M Donaldson;Ruth C Newberry;Marek Špinka;Sylvie Cloutier

  • Nursing behaviour of sows during 5 weeks lactation and effects on piglet growth

    A.E Valros;M Rundgren;M Špinka;H Saloniemi

  • The effect of pre-weaning housing on the play and agonistic behaviour of domestic pigs

    Helena Chaloupková;Gudrun Illmann;Luděk Bartoš;Marek Špinka

  • Fluctuating asymmetry as an animal welfare indicator -- a review of methodology and validity.

    U. Knierim;S. Van Dongen;B. Forkman;F.A.M. Tuyttens

  • Response of dairy cows and calves to early separation: Effect of calf age and visual and auditory contact after separation

    Ilona Stěhulová;Lena Lidfors;Marek Špinka

  • Maternal behaviour of domestic sows and crosses between domestic sows and wild boar

    Maria Gustafsson;Per Jensen;Francien H. de Jonge;Gudrun Illmann

  • How important is natural behaviour in animal farming systems

    Marek Špinka

  • Environmental challenge and animal agency.

    Marek Špinka;Françoise Wemelsfelder

  • Graded leadership by dominant animals in a herd of female beef cattle on pasture

    Radka Šárová;Marek Špinka;José L. Arias Panamá;Petr Šimeček

  • Encoding of situations in the vocal repertoire of piglets (Sus scrofa): a comparison of discrete and graded classifications.

    Céline Tallet;Céline Tallet;Pavel Linhart;Richard Policht;Kurt Hammerschmidt

  • Dimensions of maternal behaviour characteristics in domestic and wild×domestic crossbred sows

    Marek Špinka;Gudrun Illmann;Francien de Jonge;Maria Andersson

  • Pay respect to the elders: age, more than body mass, determines dominance in female beef cattle ☆

    Radka Šárová;Marek Špinka;Ilona Stěhulová;Francisco Ceacero

  • Long-term familiarity creates preferred social partners in dairy cows

    Anke Kristina Gutmann;Marek Špinka;Christoph Winckler

  • Metabolic state of the sow, nursing behaviour and milk production

    A. Valros;M. Rundgren;M. Špinka;H. Saloniemi

  • ACOUSTICAL MOTHER-OFFSPRING RECOGNITION IN PIGS (SUS SCROFA DOMESTICA)

    Gudrun Illmann;Lars Schrader;Marek Spinka;Pavel Sustr

  • Sow activity level, frequency of standing-to-lying posture changes and anti-crushing behaviour—within sow-repeatability and interactions with nursing behaviour and piglet performance

    A. Valros;M. Rundgren;M. Špinka;H. Saloniemi

  • Revisiting play elements and self-handicapping in play: a comparative ethogram of five Old World monkey species.

    Milada Petrů;Marek Spinka;Veronika Charvátová;Stanislav Lhota

  • Maternal behaviour of dairy heifers and sucking of their newborn calves in group housing.

    G. Illmann;M. Špinka

Frequent Co-Authors

Bo Algers
Bo Algers Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Alistair Lawrence
Alistair Lawrence Scotland's Rural College
Hannu Saloniemi
Hannu Saloniemi University of Helsinki
Anna Valros
Anna Valros University of Helsinki
Christoph Winckler
Christoph Winckler BOKU University
Ruth C. Newberry
Ruth C. Newberry Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Daniel T. Blumstein
Daniel T. Blumstein University of California, Los Angeles
Kerstin Uvnäs-Moberg
Kerstin Uvnäs-Moberg Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Ian J.H. Duncan
Ian J.H. Duncan University of Guelph
Per Jensen
Per Jensen Linköping University

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Exploring Animal Science and Veterinary studies opens doors to a variety of related online degrees that can enhance your career prospects. For those interested in counseling roles within animal therapy or pet owner support, pursuing a marriage and family counseling degree online can provide valuable skills in communication and psychological support.

Advanced professionals might consider obtaining a doctorate in counseling online to deepen their expertise, particularly in areas like animal-assisted therapy or behavioral consultation. These advanced degrees help bridge the gap between animal science and human well-being.

For those focused strictly on animals, a variety of animal degrees provide specialized knowledge ranging from wildlife management to veterinary technology, offering diverse career pathways within the animal care sector.

Interestingly, careers adjacent to animal science such as sports team management or facility oversight can benefit from understanding roles like what does an athletic director do. This knowledge helps in leadership and organizational skills applicable across many animal-related fields.

Best Scientists Citing Marek Špinka

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles