TY - JOUR
T1 - Individual variation in paternal responses of virgin California mice (Peromyscus californicus): behavioral and physiological correlates.
AU - Jong, Trynke R De
AU - Korosi, Aniko
AU - Harris, Breanna
AU - Perea-Rodriguez, Juan Pablo
AU - Saltzman, Wendy
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - California mice Peromyscus californicus are a rodent species in
which fathers provide extensive paternal care; however, behavioral
responses of virgin males toward conspecific neonates vary
from paternal behavior to tolerance to infanticide. Indirect evidence
suggests that paternal responses might be influenced by
social status potentially through increased stress and anxiety in
subordinate males. To test this hypothesis, we housed 12 virgin
male California mice in same-sex dyads on weaning and assessed
their within-dyad subordinate or dominant status using
food-competition and urine-marking tests. In addition, behavioral
responses to an unrelated pup, expression of vasopressin
(AVP) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA in
the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), basal plasma
levels of testosterone and corticosterone, and body mass were
measured. Food-competition and urine-marking tests did not
reveal strong or stable dominance-subordination relationships
in male-male
AB - California mice Peromyscus californicus are a rodent species in
which fathers provide extensive paternal care; however, behavioral
responses of virgin males toward conspecific neonates vary
from paternal behavior to tolerance to infanticide. Indirect evidence
suggests that paternal responses might be influenced by
social status potentially through increased stress and anxiety in
subordinate males. To test this hypothesis, we housed 12 virgin
male California mice in same-sex dyads on weaning and assessed
their within-dyad subordinate or dominant status using
food-competition and urine-marking tests. In addition, behavioral
responses to an unrelated pup, expression of vasopressin
(AVP) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA in
the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), basal plasma
levels of testosterone and corticosterone, and body mass were
measured. Food-competition and urine-marking tests did not
reveal strong or stable dominance-subordination relationships
in male-male
M3 - Article
SP - 740
EP - 751
JO - Physiological and Biochemical Zoology
JF - Physiological and Biochemical Zoology
ER -