非繁殖期大仓鼠对同种气味的反应和个体间的行为关系

在实验室通过对陌生成年大仓鼠（Ｃｒｉｃｅｔｕｌｕｓｔｒｉｔｏｎ）非繁殖期的气味偏好,性别选择和两鼠间的行为关系的实验研究表明,用Ｙ－型迷宫进行选择测试时,与空白组比较,大仓鼠了同种个体鼠垫的气味,在雌雄巢垫气味之间,雌鼠偏好雄性巢垫的气味,雄鼠不表现性别偏好,与空白组比较,被试鼠选择同种个体;在雌雄个体之间,雄性大仓鼠选择同性个体,雌性不表现性别偏好,在观察箱内,无论同性相遇还是异性相遇,两鼠间攻     

雄性布氏田鼠对不同熟悉程度和动情状态下雌鼠气味的辨别

通过雄性布氏田鼠（Microtus brandti)对配偶和陌生雌鼠气味的辨别实验发现：（1）雌鼠动情状况对雄鼠气味行为反应的影响,当配偶雌鼠处于动情期时,被试雄鼠对动情陌生雌鼠巢垫物的溴闻和舔舐的持续时间都明显多于对非动情陌生雌鼠巢垫物的嗅闻和舔舐时间,而其他行为没有明显判别当配偶雌鼠处于非动情期时,雄鼠对动情的和非动情的陌生雌鼠的气味行为反应都没有明显判别当陌生雌鼠处于动情期时,被试雄鼠对动情配偶气味的嗅闻时间明显多于对非动情配偶的嗅闻时间,而其他行为反应没有明显差异;当陌生雌鼠处于非动情期时,被试雄鼠对动情配偶雌鼠巢垫物的嗅闻时间,挖掘频次,舔舐频次和时间都明显多于对非动情配偶气味的嗅闻,而且雄鼠在动情配偶气味周围搔扒体侧行为的发生频次和持续时间也多于在非动情配偶气味周围的搔扒行为;（2）熟悉性对雄鼠气味行为反应的影响,当配偶雌鼠和陌生雌鼠都处于动情期或都处于非动情期时,被试雄鼠对陌生雌鼠气味的探究行为（嗅问、挖掘和舔噬）和搔扒体侧行为明显多于对配偶雌鼠气味的探究;雄鼠访问陌生雌鼠气味源箱的频次和在其中的停留时间也都多于访问配偶雌鼠气味源箱的频次和停留时间;当配偶雌鼠处于动情期而陌生雌鼠处于非动情期时,被试雄鼠对配偶气味的嗅闻,挖掘和自身修饰行为明显多于对陌生雌鼠气味的行为反应,进入配偶气味源箱中的访问频次也多于进入陌生雌鼠气味源箱的访问频次。结果说明：雌鼠与被试雄鼠的熟悉程度和雌鼠的动情状况直接影响雄性布氏田鼠的社会探究和气味选择行为,即雄鼠偏好并选择动情雌鼠和陌生雌鼠,雄性布氏田鼠对雌鼠气味的行为反应也表现出田鼠属动物典型的多配制种类特征。     

食物限制对异性大仓鼠气味选择的影响

通过Y型迷宫实验 ,以巢垫物为气味选择源 ,研究了大仓鼠对 60 %限食异性鼠和对照异性鼠气味选择的偏好。结果表明 ,雌雄大仓鼠均较多地选择对照异性鼠的气味 ,但这种选择上的差异并不显著(P >0 0 5 )。12 5I放射免疫法对实验鼠血清中睾酮 (雄性 )和雌二醇 (雌性 )含量的测定结果表明 ,对照鼠血清中睾酮 (雄性 )和雌二醇 (雌性 )激素与 60 %限食鼠无显著差异。表明 60 %限食对大仓鼠异性间气味选择的影响较小。     

光周期对雄性布氏田鼠种内个体气味辨别的影响

本研究了成年雄性布氏田鼠对不同光照周期下(长光照：LD;短光照：SD)的陌生雌鼠和陌生雄鼠气味的行为表现。实验发现：所有被试雄鼠对LD雄鼠、雌鼠气味比SD雄鼠、雌鼠气味有更多的社会探究行为。ID雄鼠比SD雄鼠对同性或异性陌生个体气味的嗅闻和挖掘行为要多,而且差异显。在探究LD动情雌鼠气味源时,LD雄鼠比SD雄鼠表现出更多的嗅闻和挖掘行为;在探究SD动情雌鼠气味源时,LD和SD雄鼠的行为反应没有明显差别。所有被试雄鼠在ID雄鼠气味源箱中的停留时间都显多于在SD雄鼠气味源箱中的停留时间。ID雄鼠在LD雌鼠气味源箱中的停留时间显多于在SD雌鼠气味源箱中的停留时间;而SD雄鼠在LD和SD雌鼠气味源箱中的进人频次和停留时间没有明显差别。同时,LD雄鼠对LD动情雌鼠的气味在嗅闻频次和嗅闻时间上多于非动情LD雌鼠,而对SD动情和非动情雌鼠的气味没有表现出明显的偏好;SD雄鼠对LD和SD动情雌鼠的嗅闻行为仅在频次上显多于对非动情雌鼠的嗅闻,而在时间上没有显差别。结果表明：布氏田鼠嗅觉通讯中的个体气味及其对气味进行辨别过程中的行为反应都随着光照周期的不同而发生变化。动物的个体气味带有季节性信息,来源于长光照下的气味比短光照下的气味更具有性吸引;短光照在一定程度上可能抑制了雌鼠的动情和雄鼠的性行为反应。其嗅觉通讯行为的适应意义可能在于：减少秋季短日照环境下的繁殖活动,提高雄性个体之间的社会容忍性以利于集群越冬。     

雌性布氏田鼠对雄鼠气味的辨别

通过雌性布氏田导其配偶和陌生雄鼠气味的辨别实验,以及无交配经历的成年雌鼠对社会等级不同的陌生雄鼠气的辨别实验发现,有生育经历的雌鼠对陌生雄鼠气味的探究行为明显多于对配偶气味的控究,但雌鼠在配偶雄鼠气味周围的停留时间、自身修饰行为和何处行为的发生频次和持续地陌生雄鼠,没有交配经历的雌鼠对处于从鼠地位的雄性个体气味探究行为多于对优势雄性的控究,而其他行为表现没有明显差异。表明,雌性布氏田鼠可以利用气味     

不同性别和年龄的大仓鼠对黄鼬气味的反应

将雌性成体和雌雄亚成体大仓鼠 (Cricetulustriton)长期 (4周 )暴露给过量的黄鼬 (Mustelasibirica)肛腺分泌物 ,观察其行为和生理状态的变化 ,并通过与我们以前有关黄鼬气味对成年雄鼠影响的研究结果进行比较 ,表明黄鼬气味对不同性别和不同年龄大仓鼠的胁迫效应和生殖抑制存在差异。发现黄鼬气味对雌性大仓鼠的影响较雄性小 ,对亚成体的影响较成体小 ,这与雌性和未成年动物对各种胁迫因素的反应更敏感的普遍现象相反。在成年鼠中 ,雌雄鼠的攻击行为都受到黄鼬气味的抑制 ;但天敌气味使雌性的胁腺膨大 ,对胁腺标记和肾上腺大小无影响 ;成年雄鼠的肾上腺膨大 ,胁腺萎缩 ,标记减少。在亚成体中 ,除了雄性胁腺受到抑制(与成年雄鼠相同 )外 ,雌雄鼠的肾上腺和雌性的胁腺未受影响。亚成体实验鼠的体重都比对照组低 ,但成年鼠的体重未受影响。另外 ,与以往对其它鼠类的研究结果一致 ,天敌气味并不影响成年鼠的生殖器官 ,却抑制了未成年雄鼠的附睾和未成年雌鼠的子宫。这些差异可能和生理基础的性二态以及可能面临的被捕食风险大小有关     

根田鼠的熟悉性及其自然动情下的配偶选择

报道了在室内雌鼠自然动情条件下根田鼠两性个体配偶选择的 3种熟悉性效应的 5组实验结果 ,包括雌性对熟悉和陌生雄鼠、配偶和陌生雄鼠、配偶和熟悉雄鼠的择偶行为实验 ,雄性对熟悉和陌生雌鼠、配偶和陌生雌鼠的择偶行为实验。在实验前 ,将 1对性成熟的雌雄鼠 (非亲缘关系 )每天关养8h共 8d建立熟悉性 ;配对雌雄鼠至少生育 1胎则为配偶关系。在Y形迷宫内的 30min实验中 ,两个被选择鼠分别以项链拴在横跨选择箱顶端中央的一根铁丝上 ,限制它们在各自箱内活动 ;而允许异性选择鼠从中立箱自由进入两个选择箱。记录选择鼠对异性被选择鼠的访问、社会探究、攻击、交配和友好行为的频次和时间。经Wilcoxon关联样本T检验发现 ,除交配行为不显著外 ,雌性根田鼠均选择熟悉性较高的雄鼠 ;而雄鼠不具这种选择性。该结果提示雌雄根田鼠的不同择偶行为也许就是反映该种婚配制度特征的直接行为过程。因此 ,在择偶行为中 ,雌性根田鼠表现的单配性倾向和雄鼠的多配性倾向 ,只能以其婚配制度为一雄多雌制的假设来解释。我们的实验还说明在多配制田鼠中 ,一雄多雌制与混交制在雌鼠择偶行为上是不同的 ,而与单配制的相似或相近 ,故简单地比较多配制与单配制则不能反映田鼠亚科动物婚配制度的多样性。     

雄性等级对布氏田鼠雌性选择的影响

利用监控录像以及特定行为记录的方法,研究了雄性等级对布氏田鼠气味选择和个体选择的影响。结果表明不论是气味选择还是个体选择,雌鼠动情状态不影响对雄鼠的选择频次,但是动情雌鼠在自我修饰行为频次上高于非动情雌鼠。此外,在气味和个体选择的优先权方面,动情雌鼠更多的优先选择优势雄鼠的气味和个体并与之交配,而非动情雌鼠更多的先选择从属雄鼠的气味和个体。总之,不论是气味选择还是个体选择,布氏田鼠不仅受到被选择雄鼠的地位影响,还与雌鼠的生理状态有关。     

长期社群隔离使大仓鼠近交回避和亲属善待行为消失

为研究大仓鼠利用表型匹配识别亲属和近交发生的可能性 ,我们将大仓鼠单只隔离饲养 ,8个月后 ,经在Y型迷宫中测试 ,发现它们在同胞和非同胞之间不表现出偏好和友好行为 ,攻击行为和交配行为也没有表现出差异。结果表明 ,大仓鼠同胞经长期的分离后 ,其亲属善待行为和近交回避消失 ,初步证明大仓鼠的亲属识别可能不是通过表型匹配机制     

布氏田鼠在不同光周期下对陌生个体尿液和粪便的气味辨别

研究了成年布氏田鼠在10min内,对不同光照周期下（长光照：LD;短光照：SD）陌生雌／雄个体尿液和粪便两种单一个体气味源的气味行为反应,实验发现：所有雌雄被试鼠对LD气味源比SD气味源表现出更多的嗅闻行为。LD和SD被试鼠对同性／异性尿液气味的嗅闻行为没有表现出明显的差别,但LD被试雄鼠对陌生雌鼠粪便的嗅闻频次显多于SD被试雄鼠,从嗅闻行为特征量（嗅闻行为占所有行为的百分比）来看,所有LD和SD被试雌,雄鼠对尿液的嗅 明显多于粪便,除SD粪便气味外,被试鼠对异性气味源的嗅闻明显多于同性,实验结果表明：作为两种个体气味源,尿液和粪便都带有季节性信息,而且是具有性别特性的。异性的个体气味源比同性的个体气味源更具吸引力;长光照动物的个体气味比短光照动物的气味更具吸引力。     

Microhabitat selection in the early juvenile mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris (L.)

Using laboratory choice experiments, behavioural preferences of the early juvenile mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris for temperature, salinity and sediment were observed. The temperature preference experiments were conducted in an annular chamber with a thermal gradient of 27 to 34° C, and the fish selected a mean ± s . d . temperature of 31·2 ± 0·5° C. The salinity preference experiments were conducted in an aquarium with decreasing salinity from 20 to 15, 10, 5 and 0·5, and significantly more ( P < 0·05) fish were found in water with a salinity of 5. The sediment preference experiments were tested in circular tanks which contained four types of sediment (medium sand, fine sand, muddy sand and sandy mud), and the fish showed a clear preference for sandy mud. These results indicated that early juvenile B. pectinirostris showed behavioural preference for microhabitats. Temperature and salinity probably set large-scale boundaries on distribution, but sediment should be a critical factor for determining the distribution of the mudskipper.     

Simple Reaching Is Not So Simple: Association Between Hand Use and Grip Preferences in Captive Chimpanzees

We assessed the relationship between grip preference and hand use in chimpanzees in 2 experiments. In experiment 1, we evaluated consistency in hand use and grip preference across 4 food types. The chimpanzees showed population-level right-handedness and there are significant positive associations for both hand and grip use across food types. In experiment 2, we assessed validity of hand use in relation to grip preference in 2 colonies of chimpanzees via the same methodology. Differences in hand preferences between colonies were associated with variation in the observed grip preferences. There was no evidence of rearing effects on handedness in either colony. We discuss the overall results in the context of the evolution of handedness in relation to increasing motor demands as manifest in variation on grasping behavior.     

The relationship between PROP and ethanol preferences: an evaluation of 4 inbred mouse strains

Ethanol's taste attributes undoubtedly contribute to the development of drug preference. Ethanol's taste is both sweet and bitter. Taster status for bitter 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) has been proposed as a genetic marker for alcoholism; however, human results are conflicting. We collected preference scores for both tastants in 4 mouse strains selected on the basis of previously reported taste preference, with the generally accepted idea that inbred mice show minimal within-strain variation. Eighty-eight male mice (22 per strain) participated. The strains were as follows: C57BL/6J, ethanol preferring; BALB/cJ, ethanol avoiding; SWR/J, PROP avoiding; and C3HeB/FeJ, PROP neutral. Using a brief-access (1-min trials) 2-bottle preference test, we assessed the taste response of each strain to PROP and ethanol on separate days. Although PROP avoiding versus neutral mice could be segregated into significantly different populations, this was not the case for ethanol avoiding versus preferring mice, and all strains showed high variability. On average, only BALB/cJ, SWR/J, and C3HeB/FeJ mice conformed to their literature-reported preferences; nonetheless, there were a substantial number of discordant animals. C57BL/6J did not conform to previous results, indicating that they are ethanol preferring. Finally, we did not observe a significant relationship between PROP and ethanol preferences across strains. The high variability per strain and the number of animals in disagreement with their respective literature-reported preference raise concerns regarding their utility for investigations underlying mechanisms of taste-mediated ingestive responses. Absent postingestive consequences, the brief-access results suggest a possible degree of previously masked polymorphisms in taste preferences or a more recent drift in underlying genetic factors. The absence of a relationship between PROP and ethanol indicates that the bitter quality in ethanol may be more highly related to other bitter compounds that are mediated by different genetic influences.     

Preference for ethanol in feeding and oviposition in temperate and tropical populations of Drosophila melanogaster

The natural habitat of Drosophila melanogaster Meigen (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is fermenting fruits, which can be rich in ethanol. For unknown reasons, temperate populations of this cosmopolitan species have higher ethanol resistance than tropical populations. To determine whether this difference is accompanied by a parallel difference in preference for ethanol, we compared two European and two tropical African populations in feeding and oviposition preference for ethanol‐supplemented medium. Although females of all populations laid significantly more eggs on medium with ethanol than on control medium, preference of European females for ethanol increased as ethanol concentration increased from 2 to 6%, whereas that of African females decreased. In feeding tests, African females preferred control medium over medium with 4% ethanol, whereas European females showed no preference. Males of all populations strongly preferred control medium. The combination of preference for ethanol in oviposition, and avoidance or neutrality in feeding, gives evidence that adults choose breeding sites with ethanol for the benefit of larvae, rather than for their own benefit. The stronger oviposition preference for ethanol of temperate than tropical females suggests that this benefit may be more important in temperate populations. Two possible benefits of ethanol for which there is some experimental evidence are cryoprotection and protection against natural enemies.     

The small-scale spatial distribution of male and female plants

Summary There are many reports of dioecious flowering plants with positive spatial association of gender, such that males and females tend to occur at different sites. This pattern has been interpreted as demonstrating environmenal heterogeneity, the two sexes having different habitat preferences. However, it is not clear: (a) to what extent the literature reflects the greater likelihood of publishing striking positive results; and (b) whether the association of stems of like gender within habitats is caused by differences in microhabitat preference rather than by vegetative ramification. We surveyed natural populations of ten sexually heteromorphic species in southern Quebec, and found that five showed positive association and four showed no association between the genders. With one exception (Silene cucubalus) these results appeared to reflect the presence or absence of vegetative ramification. We conclude that the demonstration of spatial association cannot be used to infer the existence of microenvironmental heterogeneity except in species with no capacity for vegetative ramification. The tenth species, Silene alba, showed negative association, with an excess of neighbouring pairs of unlike gender, but we were unable to reproduce this phenomenon experimentally.     

Male mate preference for large size overrides species recognition in allopatric flat lizards (<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Platysaurus broadleyi</Emphasis>)

Species recognition and mate preference both influence mate choice but can be in conflict with each other. In such cases the relative importance of the two functions depends on the costs of mating with heterospecifics and the frequency of such interactions. We tested whether male flat lizards (Platysaurus broadleyi) are able to discriminate between conspecific females and females of its allopatric sister species P. capensis. Given a simultaneous choice between equally sized females of both species, males courted conspecific females in 85% of trials. We then tested whether mate preference for large female body size can override species recognition. When offered a choice between a larger heterospecific female and a smaller conspecific, males showed no preference for conspecifics and courted larger heterospecific females in 58% of trials. Comparison of the two sets of trials showed a significant effect of female body size on male mate preference, supporting the hypothesis that mate quality can override species recognition.Communicated by K. Kotrschal     

Behaviour before beauty: Signal weighting during mate selection in the butterfly Papilio polytes

Mating displays often contain multiple signals. Different combinations of these signals may be equally successful at attracting a mate, as environment and signal combination may influence relative signal weighting by choosy individuals. This variation in signal weighting among choosy individuals may facilitate the maintenance of polymorphic displays and signalling behaviour. One group of animals known for their polymorphic patterning are Batesian mimetic butterflies, where the interaction of sexual selection and predation pressures is hypothesized to influence the maintenance of polymorphic wing patterning and behaviour. Males in the female‐limited polymorphic Batesian mimetic butterfly Papilio polytes use female wing pattern and female activity levels when determining whom to court. They court stationary females with mimetic wing patterns more often than stationary females with non‐mimetic, male‐like wing patterns and active females more often than inactive females. It is unclear whether females modify their behaviour to increase (or decrease) their likelihood of receiving male courtship, or whether non‐mimetic females spend more time in cryptic environments than mimetic females, to compensate for their lack of mimicry‐driven predation protection (at the cost of decreased visibility to males). In addition, relative signal weighting of female wing pattern and activity to male mate selection is unknown. To address these questions, we conducted a series of observational studies of a polymorphic P. polytes population in a large butterfly enclosure. We found that males exclusively courted active females, irrespective of female wing pattern. However, males did court active non‐mimetic females significantly more often than expected given their relative abundance in the population. Females exhibited similar activity levels, and selected similar resting environments, irrespective of wing pattern. Our results suggest that male preference for non‐mimetic females may play an active role in the maintenance of the non‐mimetic female form in natural populations, where males are likely to be in the presence of active, as well as inactive, mimetic and non‐mimetic females.     

Object familiarization and novel-object preference in rats

We investigated whether object familiarization was related to novel-object preference in the novel-object preference (NOP) test in rats. In Experiment 1, we found that no significant correlation existed between the time spent investigating 2 identical copies of a sample object and the degree of preference for a novel object. In Experiment 2, rats investigated 2 identical sample objects for a total of 5, 30, 60, 90 or 120 s. Investigatory preference for the novel object was compared to chance expectancy as well as between the groups. Only the 90-s group and the 120-s group displayed above-chance investigatory preference for the novel object, but novel-object preference for these 2 groups did not differ from each other, suggesting that a minimal amount of sample object investigation is necessary for rats to develop a novel-object preference, beyond which no increase in novel-object preference was found. In Experiments 3 and 4, normal rats and rats with hippocampal lesions were given repeated test trials, with the same sample object presented with a different novel object, at 24-h and (Experiment 3) and 35-s intervals (Experiment 4). In both experiments, novel-object preference did not increase in magnitude with repeated sample object exposures, suggesting that increased familiarity with the sample object does not result in increased novel-object preference. Rats with lesions of the dorsal hippocampus showed an unreliable investigatory preference for the novel object. These results are discussed in terms of the potential limitations of the NOP test as a tool for the assessment of object-recognition memory in rats.