Male deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), born of mothers housed on a longday (LD) photoperiod (15:9 hr light/dark), were either switched to a short-day (SD) photoperiod (6:18 hr) at birth or continued on their prenatal LD photoperiod. From weaning until 6 wk of age, the males were housed either in cohabitation with an adult female or in social isolation. Males reared on an SD photoperiod had smaller testes, seminal vesicles, and ventral sebaceous glands than did males reared on LD. Postweaning exposure of SD males to females stimulated reproductive organ growth as measured at 6 wk of age. Both photic and social stimuli regulate reproductive development in male deer mice. Positive social cues can stimulate maturation even in the presence of negative photic cues.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.