基于交叉抚育的雄性根田鼠对异性同胞尿气味的识别

通过交叉抚育建立室内繁殖种群，在断奶后（80日龄）分别取这些供体的新鲜尿气味作刺激物，在行为观察箱中观察和记录雄性根田鼠对雌鼠气味的行为反应，以研究根田鼠同胞识别的化学通讯机制。结果表明：①在不同的发育时期（2～70日龄），雄性同巢同胞与异巢同胞的体重没有显著差异。②雄性根田鼠对雌性同巢非同胞气味的接近潜伏期显著长于对异巢非同胞的接近潜伏期（P〈0．05），其对异巢非同胞气味的访问时间和嗅舔时间都显著高于同巢非同胞气味（P〈0．05）。③雄性根田鼠对雌性异巢同胞和异巢非同胞气味的不存在明显偏好。其对两者的接近潜伏期、访问频次、访问时间、嗅舔频次和嗅舔时间等行为响应均无显著差异（P〈0．05）。这些结果表明，80日龄时，雄性根田鼠能够识别熟悉和陌生的无亲属关系雌性尿气味，但不能区分陌生的亲属和非亲属，因此，其异性同胞识别的机制为共生熟悉模式。

Kin Recognition in Cross-fostered Colonies of Root Voles (Microtus oeconomus): Male Response to Urine Odor of Female Siblings

The laboratory population was founded by the cross-iostering method. In order to investigate mechanisms of kin recognition by odor cues, we observed the behavioral responses of adult male root voles (Microtus oeconomus ) to urine odors from females, which include non-siblings reared together (NSRT), non-siblings reared apart (NSRA), and siblings reared apart (SRA). The results showed that there are no significant differences in male vole body weight between siblings reared together and SRA during different developmental periods (age 2-70 days) . Approach latency by males was significantly longer in response to NSRT than NSRA, whereas visiting time and sniff time by males were significantly shorter in response to NSRT than NSRA opposite-sex conspecifics. The behavioral responses of males to urine odors from SRA and NSRA had no relationship with the degree of genetic relatedness. In conclusion, male root voles 80 days in age can discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar non-kin by urine cues, but such males cannot discriminate between unfamiliar kin and non-kin. We conclude that male voles use an odor association mechanism for sibling recognition.