Impact of odors on paternal responsiveness and associated neuronal activity in "expectant" male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), a monogamous species
Item
-
Title
-
Impact of odors on paternal responsiveness and associated neuronal activity in "expectant" male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), a monogamous species
-
Identifier
-
d_2009_2013:2565175d85ed:10859
-
identifier
-
11099
-
Creator
-
Lang, Damaris-Lois Yamoah,
-
Contributor
-
Maryam Bamshad-Alavi
-
Date
-
2011
-
Language
-
English
-
Publisher
-
City University of New York.
-
Subject
-
Neurosciences | Behavioral sciences | Cohabitation | Microtus | Odor | Paternal Care | Prairie Voles | Ventral Tegmental Area
-
Abstract
-
Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are unusual mammals because they are socially monogamous. The breeding pairs form pair bonds and jointly care for offspring. Although the duration and intensity of parental behavior in male prairie voles is similar to that observed in females, there are sex differences in the onset and pattern of infant caring in this species. The factors that contribute to sex differences in parental behavior of prairie voles are unknown. As males and females show all components of active and inactive parental behaviors, it is possible that sensory inputs from infants arouse a different pattern of parental care in each sex. Males and females may also differ in the degree of attentiveness to infant sensory cues and to other environmental stimuli. Furthermore, they may focus their attention on different aspects of infant cues or perceive the same cues differently. I conducted three experiments to test these hypotheses. In the first experiment, I tested the attentiveness and sensitivity of male and female prairie voles towards infant-related odors across the reproductive period. Males and females showed increased attentiveness to infant-related odors at different times during the reproductive period. In the second experiment, I examined the impact of female sensory cues on male responsiveness towards infant odors. The data suggest that male's exposure to the female's tactile and distal cues during the gestation period elicited indirect paternal behavior in presence of infant odors. However, infant odors alone were insufficient to stimulate direct paternal responsiveness in these males. In the third experiment, I studied the neuronal activity of brain areas that could be involved in the enhanced indirect paternal behavior that was observed in males housed with their mate through mid gestation. In response to infant-related odors, males that had stayed with their mate had higher neuronal activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) compared to males that had stayed with their same-sex sibling. Together, these studies indicate that female sensory cues in prairie voles play an important role in enhancing indirect paternal care by increasing the male's attentiveness to odors and activating neurons in the VTA region of his brain.
-
Type
-
dissertation
-
Source
-
2009_2013.csv
-
degree
-
Ph.D.
-
Program
-
Biology
