Care of young, aggressiveness, and secretion of testosterone in male rodents: A correlation analysis

To test the current hypotheses on the relationship between the mating system, reproductive strategy, aggression, and secretion of testosterone, a comparative study of interactions in pair encounters, the level of parental care, and the gonadal testosterone level in males was performed in six rodent species (Clethrionomys rutilus, Meriones meridianus, Microtus arvalis, Lagurus lagurus, Lasiopodomys mandarinus, and Meriones unguiculatus) with different types of spatial-and-ethological population structures (SEPSs). It is shown that this dependence is absent in species with promiscuous mating and dominance hierarchy among males (C. rutilus and M. meridianus, SEPS type II). A trade-off, or negative correlation, was found in M. arvalis—a species with weak pair bonds and male competition for receptive females (SEPS type III). In species with persistent pair bonds and structured family groups (L. mandarinus and M. unguiculatus, SEPS type IV), no inverse relationship between the secretion of testosterone and paternal behavior was found either. Moreover, in male L. mandarinus androgens appear to stimulate paternal care.