Parental care and mating system of the prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster

Thomas, Jeànette A.; Birney, Elmer C.

doi:10.1007/bf00293304

Cited by 209 publications

(131 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Both mother and father prairie voles participate in rearing their offspring, and fathers contribute both directly and indirectly to the survival of their pups by displaying all aspects of parental behavior except nursing (see reviews Dewsbury, 1985;Wang et al, 1996a). For example, male prairie voles gather and prepare materials for nest building, participate in runway construction and food hoarding, and directly brood, groom, and retrieve pups (Thomas et al, 1979;Dewsbury, 1985;Gruder-Adams et al, 1985;Oliveras et al, 1986).…”

Section: The Prairie Vole and Social Attachmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The neurobiology of social attachment: A comparative approach to behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical studies

Young

Liu

Wang

2008

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology &

132

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The formation and maintenance of social bonds in adulthood is an essential component of human health. However studies investigating the underlying neurobiology of such behaviors have been scarce. Microtine rodents offer a unique comparative animal model to explore the neural processes responsible for pair bonding and its associated behaviors. Studies using monogamous prairie voles and other related species have recently offered insight into the neuroanatomical, neurobiological, and neurochemical underpinnings of social attachment. In this review, we will discuss the utility of the microtine rodents in comparative studies by exploring their natural history and social behavior in the laboratory. We will then summarize the data implicating vasopressin, oxytocin, and dopamine in the regulation of pair bonding. Finally, we will discuss the ways in which these neurochemical systems may interact to mediate this complex behavior.

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Section: The Prairie Vole and Social Attachmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The neurobiology of social attachment: A comparative approach to behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical studies

Young

Liu

Wang

2008

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology &

132

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“…This article focuses on the parental care behavior of the Brandt vole, Lasiopodomys brandti. The initial impetus for this investigation was the observation that, in the laboratory, male Brandt voles participate in many aspects of parental care, like do males of some other vole species being the subjects of previous studies prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), mandarin vole (Lasiopodomys mandarinus) and Guenther vole (Microtus guentheri) (Thomas & Birney, 1979;Getz & Carter, 1996;Lon-Parental care in captive Brandt vole (Lasiopodomys brandti Radde, 1861) Vladimir S. Gromov ABSTRACT. In 10 male-female pairs observed under laboratory conditions, both parents were found to contribute to the care of young during the whole observation period (21 days from parturition) divided into four rearing periods (stages): days 26, 711, 1216 and 1721, respectively.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental care in captive Brandt vole (Lasiopodomys brandti Radde, 1861)

Gromov¹

2006

Rus.J.Theriol.

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“…These rodents show substantial inter-specific variation in their social organization, mating strategies, and patterns of social behavior, including parental care. Sex and species differences in parental behavior as well as proximate and ultimate mechanisms underlying them are of great interest for many zoologists and ethologists during the last decades (Bridges et al 1974;Elwood 1975Elwood , 1983Thomas and Birney 1979;McGuire and Novak 1984;Oliveras and Novak 1986;Gubernick and Alberts 1987;Hofmann et al 1989;Shilton and Brooks 1989;Solomon 1993;Wang and Insel 1996;Brown et al 1999;De Vries 1999, 2000;Smorkatcheva 2003;Libhaber and Eilam 2004). There are some evidences that parental care is related to rodent social organization and mating strategies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pair-bonding and parental care in cricetid rodents: a comparative study

Gromov

2010

Acta Theriol

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The cricetid rodents (hamsters, voles, and gerbils) show substantial inter-specific variation in their social organization, mating strategies, and patterns of social behavior, including parental care. In the present study, behaviors related to pair-bonding and parental activities were evaluated in male-female pairs of six cricetid species (Cricetulus migratorius Pallas, 1773, Clethrionomys rutilus Pallas, 1779, Microtus arvalis Pallas, 1778, Microtus socialis Pallas, 1773, Lasiopodomys brandti Radde, 1852, and Meriones unguiculatus Milne-Edwards, 1867) observed under laboratory conditions. These species were chosen due to particular differences in their mating strategies and the spatial-and-ethological population structure (Types I-IV). The results of the study show that there is a pronounced tendency towards both reinforcement of pair-bonds and increasing rate of direct parental care, especially paternal one, when solitary or gregarious species (Types I and II-C. migratorius and C. rutilus) are compared with the ones living in family groups (Type III-M. arvalis and M. socialis and Type IV-L. brandti and M. unguiculatus). Parental investment of males is mainly related to additional tactile stimulation of infants. A high level of tactile stimulation of pups promotes an increase in subsequent paternal care and reinforcement of pair-bonding, and, conversely, a deficit of tactile stimulation negatively affects the development of paternal behavior and social relationships. Thus, tactile stimulation can be regarded as one of the proximate mechanisms of socialization that plays an essential role in the evolution of sociality, i.e., transition to a family-group mode of life in rodents.

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Parental care and mating system of the prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster

Cited by 209 publications

References 15 publications

The neurobiology of social attachment: A comparative approach to behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical studies

The neurobiology of social attachment: A comparative approach to behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical studies

Parental care in captive Brandt vole (Lasiopodomys brandti Radde, 1861)

Pair-bonding and parental care in cricetid rodents: a comparative study

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