鼠类超声波通讯的社会原因和功能

鼠类的超声通讯已有报道,并且在实验室深入研究了小鼠和大鼠接受和释放这些叫声的能力。由于对不同刺激的反应和出自不同的目的,幼鼠和成年鼠都释放超声。发出者的年龄/性/品系以及自然和社会环境的不同,导致这些超声的频率和持续时间也不同。在社会隔离和操作处理时,未成年个体可释放超声波。作为成熟程度以及对环境信号和药物处理时反应的指标,这些叫声得到了广泛研究,表明超声在调节出生后早期的母幼联系中起相应的作用。随着幼鼠的长大及体温调节和感觉能力的增强,发生的数量大大减少。然而,成年小鼠和大鼠在不同的社会条件下,释放出的超声有种间差异:大鼠的超声与正面和负面的社会作用有关,而在小鼠中,这些叫声主要与领域有关.

Ultrasonic vocalizations in mice and rats: social contexts and functions

Ultrasonic vocalizations have been reported in several rodent species and the capability to hear and emit these calls have been intensively studied in laboratory mice and rats. Both pups and adults emit ultrasounds in response to differ ent stimuli and for different purposes. These vocalizations differ in frequencies an duration according either to age/sex/ strain characteristics of the emitter and the physical and social context. Immature pups, in response to social isolation and handling, emit ultrasounds. These calls have been extensively studied as index of maturation, of responsiveness to environmental signals and of drug treatment. These vocalizations have been suggested to play a relevant role in modulating mother-offspring interaction during early postnatal days. The number of calls strongly decreased as pups grow up, gaining thermoregulatory and sensory motor capabilities. Adult mice and rats instead emit ultrasounds in different social contexts,with species differences being evident. Rats' ultrasonic vocalizations are associated to both positive and negative social in teractions. By contrast in the mouse these calls are reported mainly in territorial contexts, emphasizing species differences in social structure [Acta Zoologica Sinica 52 (4): 619 - 633, 2006].