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The transition from sitting on eggs to sitting on young in ring doves, Streptopelia risoria: squab-egg preferences during the normal cycle.

Ring doves of both sexes sit on young squabs after hatching in much the same manner as they sit on eggs before hatching, but this study demonstrates that the preferred stimulus varies with the state of the animal. A simultaneous squab--egg choice test was given on days 1, 4, 10, and 13 of incubation and on the day following hatching in normal reproductive cycles of experienced and naïve male and female ring doves. Naïve doves were more likely than experienced doves to choose eggs throughout the cycle (P less than 0-005) and, overall, eggs were more likely to be chosen during early incubation and squabs posthatching (P less than 0-005).

Animals↗

Is male-infant caretaking related to paternity and/or mating activities in wild Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus)?

In species with a promiscuous mating system, the functions of male-infant caretaking remain unclear in the absence of genetic paternity tests. We tested paternal investment and hypotheses concerning reproductive tactics in wild groups of Barbary macaques, including results of genetic paternity tests. Our study revealed that male-infant caretaking was not related to the probability of paternity. In principle, males could use access to females to estimate paternity. However, we found that mating success was not related to paternity, so males could invest in infants that they had not sired, and caretaking of non-offspring was actually observed. Accordingly, males might be 'deceived' with respect to their paternal investment. In that case, one would expect a positive relation between mating success and the subsequent rate of male caretaking of infants. Such a relation is also lacking, leading to comprehensive rejection of the paternal investment hypothesis in Barbary macaques. By contrast, there was evidence that males showing infant care achieved higher mating frequencies than other males with the mothers of the relevant infants. Thus, male Barbary macaques do not show a 'mate-then-care' pattern, but they do exhibit a 'care-then-mate' pattern.

Animals↗

Dorsolateral connections of the medial preoptic area and maternal behavior in rats.

The lateral connections of the medial preoptic area (MPOA) are essential for maternal behavior in rats. The purpose of this study was to more exactly specify the nature of this pathway. Experiment 1 found that knife cuts that severed the dorsolateral connections of the MPOA were as effective as complete cuts in disrupting maternal behavior, whereas knife cuts that severed the ventrolateral MPOA connections were ineffective. These results suggest that MPOA efferents and afferents critical for maternal behavior leave or enter the MPOA dorsolaterally. Experiment 2 located possible sources of critical afferent input. Lactating rats received MPOA lateral cuts with a horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-coated wire knife. Full lateral cuts and dorsolateral cuts disrupted maternal behavior and labeled more cells with HRP in the nucleus of the solitary tract and the locus coeruleus than did ventrolateral cuts, which did not disrupt maternal behavior.

Animals↗

The habenular complex mediates hormonal stimulation of maternal behavior in rats.

The role of the habenular complex (Hbc) in the hormonal onset and nonhormonal maintenance of maternal behavior in rats was examined. In Experiment 1, bilateral lesions were produced in the Hbc on Gestational Day (GD) 12. On GD 16, animals were hysterectomized-ovariectomized and given estradiol benzoate (EB); they were then tested for maternal behavior 48 hr later. Hbc lesions delayed the appearance of all components of maternal behavior for several days. In Experiment 2, large Hbc lesions that were produced on Postpartum Day 4 caused only 1- or 2-day deficits in maternal behavior. These data suggest that the Hbc mediates the hormonal onset of maternal behavior. During the postpartum period, however, the importance of the Hbc for maternal behavior diminishes as the hormones of pregnancy become less important.

Animals↗

Lateral habenula neurons are necessary for the hormonal onset of maternal behavior and for the display of postpartum estrus in naturally parturient female rats.

In 16-day pregnant, hysterectomized-ovariectomized and estradiol benzoate-treated rats, cytotoxic lesions of the lateral habenula (Lhb) produced severe deficits in maternal behavior (K.P. Corodimas, J.S. Rosenblatt, M.E. Canfield, & J.I. Morrell, 1993). To determine if deficits could be found in parturient rats, females were bilaterally injected with kainic acid (KA) to produce cytotoxic lesions of the Lhb. Controls either received bilateral KA-induced lesions to the hippocampus or were unoperated. All females maintained their pregnancies, underwent parturition, and were tested for maternal behavior (pup retrieval, nursing, and nestbuilding), general activity, and oromotor carrying. Females with lesions of the Lhb had severe disruptions of all components of maternal behavior and postpartum estrus. These results extend previous findings that the Lhb is involved in the hormonal onset of maternal behavior and also demonstrate that the Lhb supports the display of postpartum estrus.

Amygdala↗

Concaveation and maintenance of maternal behavior in a burrower bug (Sehirus cinctus): a comparative perspective.

This study investigates 2 patterns of maternal behavior typical of mammals, using a heteropteran insect as the study animal. Sehirus cinctus, a burrower bug (Heteroptera: Cydnidae), exhibits relatively well-developed maternal behavior that includes guarding eggs and provisioning offspring. Mothers remained maternally responsive to stimulus eggs for 24-48 hr following removal of their own eggs, but the response grew weaker with longer separation times. A proportion of nulliparous females also exhibited maternal responsiveness when presented with stimulus eggs. Males, however, never responded parentally to eggs. The results of this study highlight similarities in general female responsiveness to stimulus young and differences in male responsiveness to stimulus young among certain invertebrates and vertebrates.

Animals↗

Paternal care in the social and diurnal striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio): laboratory and field evidence.

Paternal care is rare in mammals, occurring mainly in carnivores and neotropical primates, in which the difficulties of long generation time and large individuals lead to small sample sizes. Here, the authors show that paternal care can be easily studied in the four-striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) because (a) captive males show all the patterns of parental care as do females, with the obvious exception of nursing; (b) in the field, wild males act amicably toward juveniles and retrieve pups experimentally presented to them; (c) the striped mouse facilitates experimental approaches in captivity because it has a short generation period and can be kept in large numbers; and (d) the striped mouse is diurnal, not only making observations in captivity easier but also enabling direct observations in the field.

Animals↗

Another hamster paradox: more males carry pups and fewer kill and cannibalize young than do females.

The response of virgin male and female golden hamsters to young was studied. In contrast to most species, males are more likely to carry pups than are females. All males carried pups, but approximately 50% of females cannibalized the young. The females that did not cannibalize the pups carried them with less hesitation and after shorter latencies than did the males. The response of females to young was not correlated with the aggressiveness displayed toward adult males during separate tests. Tests with gonadectomized females indicated that the maintenance of pup-killing behavior is not dependent on concurrent gonadal hormones. Progesterone injections did not significantly increase pup killing in males that had previously carried young. Speculations on the adaptive significance of the male and female hamster's response to pups are presented.

Aggression↗