Imprinting in guinea pigs

Enduring maternal influences in a precocial rodent

“…For instance, guinea pig pups were known to exhibit a strong approach response to the rearing figure from shortly after birth (Gaston et al, 1969); there was better evidence for recognition and preference for the individual rearing figure as opposed to just odors associated with maternal diet (Breen & Leshner, 1977;Leon, Galef, & Behse, 1977;Pettijohn, 1979b;Gaston et al, 1969;Sluckin, 1968); the physiological maturity of the guinea pig pup ensured that vocalizations during maternal separation were not just responses to thermogenic challenge (Alexander, 1975); and unlike the case in rats (Henning, 1978;Levine, 2001), guinea pigs were known to not exhibit a profound suppression of HPA activity during much of the preweaning period (Dalle & Delost, 1974). For instance, guinea pig pups were known to exhibit a strong approach response to the rearing figure from shortly after birth (Gaston et al, 1969); there was better evidence for recognition and preference for the individual rearing figure as opposed to just odors associated with maternal diet (Breen & Leshner, 1977;Leon, Galef, & Behse, 1977;Pettijohn, 1979b;Gaston et al, 1969;Sluckin, 1968); the physiological maturity of the guinea pig pup ensured that vocalizations during maternal separation were not just responses to thermogenic challenge (Alexander, 1975); and unlike the case in rats (Henning, 1978;Levine, 2001), guinea pigs were known to not exhibit a profound suppression of HPA activity during much of the preweaning period (Dalle & Delost, 1974).…”

“…With the young so active and capable of moving about, and the mother so passive, all that seems to keep the mother and young together is the strong attraction or attachment that the young show for the mother. Guinea pigs have been found to exhibit at least some evidence of all the criteria commonly used to define attachment in other species, such as primates (Beauchamp & Hess, 1971;Carter & Marr, 1970;Gaston, Stout, & Tom, 1969;Hennessy, 1997;Pettijohn, 1978Pettijohn, , 1979aSluckin, 1968).…”

“…Examination of published studies at the time suggested that guinea pigs might be better suited for our research than the more commonly used rats and mice. For instance, guinea pig pups were known to exhibit a strong approach response to the rearing figure from shortly after birth (Gaston et al, 1969); there was better evidence for recognition and preference for the individual rearing figure as opposed to just odors associated with maternal diet (Breen & Leshner, 1977;Leon, Galef, & Behse, 1977;Pettijohn, 1979b;Gaston et al, 1969;Sluckin, 1968); the physiological maturity of the guinea pig pup ensured that vocalizations during maternal separation were not just responses to thermogenic challenge (Alexander, 1975); and unlike the case in rats (Henning, 1978;Levine, 2001), guinea pigs were known to not exhibit a profound suppression of HPA activity during much of the preweaning period (Dalle & Delost, 1974). Therefore, we began to study the guinea pig.…”

The Effects of Cross-species Rearing on the Social and Sexual Preferences of Guinea Pigs1

“…There have been several recent reports documenting the existence of classical imprinting in the domestic guinea pig Cavia porcellus (HESS 1959, SHIPLEY 1963SLUCKIN 1968;GASTON, STOUT & TOM 1969). These experiments show that very young guinea pigs, as is the case with many precocial birds, approach and follow an imprinting object during training and, when tested several days or a few weeks later, prefer the imprinting object to an unfamiliar one in a free-choice test.…”

Social attachment of the infant guinea pig to its parents in a two-choice situation

“…Gaston, Stout, and Tom (1969) and Sluckin (1968) found that when infant guinea pigs were briefly exposed to an object, they preferred it to other stimuli in a choice test. Harper (1970) reported that exposure of neonates to a vocalizing, furry, and moving model for 3 days was enough for the model to reinforce running behavior 5 days later (in a T-maze with a model in one end and the other end empty).…”