Marking Behavior is Innate and not Learned in the Mongolian Gerbil.

Abstract

Abstract:We studied whether marking behavior in Mongolian gerbils would be innate or learned behavior. The marking behavior was defined as " animals rubbing their abdominal scent glands on small protruding objects". Between 21 and 90 days of age, Mongolian gerbils, which were kept under such conditions that they would be unable to learn this behavior, were observed at intervals of 5-15 days to find out if there were signs of the behavior or not. Six male and four female Mongolian gerbils were used for observing. Neonate Mongolian gerbils during the age of 3 to 28 days were fostered by ICR mother mice. Weaning Mongolian gerbils were then individually kept away from the others. Marking behavior was observed in 2 out of 6 males at 50 days of age and 2 of 4 females at 60 days and the mean frequency of the marking behavior for 10 min was 3.5 in the males and 5.0 in the females. These results suggest that marking behavior was innate and not learned behavior in Mongolian gerbils.

Age-Related Changes on Marking, Marking-like Behavior and the Scent Gland in Adult Mongolian Gerbils(Meriones unguiculatus).

“…Our previous study [3] suggested that marking behavior of the young Mongolian gerbils was first observed at about 40 days of aged in males, and 50 days of age in females, and marking-like behavior was first observed in pups of both sexes aged 19 days of lactation. Lately, we have reported that marking behavior is innate and is not learned behavior in Mongolian gerbils [4]. In adult Mongolian gerbils, marking behavior is defined as gerbils rubbing their abdominal scent glands onto a prominent object [5,17,18,22,23], and both the object and floor [11,16,20].…”

“…For observation of both behavior, according to the method described in previous studies [3,4], the animal was introduced into the individual observation cage made of metal net (76 × 46 × 30 cm). A plywood board with two wooden protrusions (2 × 1 × 1 cm) was placed on the floor of each observation cage.…”

“…It has also been reported that the expression of marking behavior is related to testosterone in males [5,9,15,[18][19][20], and estrogen in females [13,21]. Marking behavior has been shown to be innate, not learned behavior, for Mongolian gerbils [4], and it is known that the behavior in males is superior to females [20,25]. It is also considered that the appearance time of marking behavior is around 82 days of age in males [12], while that in females is still unknown.…”

El jerbo como modelo de anemia por oxidación

“…Esta glándula también ha sido relacionada con el potencial reproductivo (Yahr, 1979) presentándose los niveles más bajos de marcaje en los machos alojados individualmente o en los machos subordinados, seguidos por los machos expuestos a hembras ovariectomizadas, y los machos dominantes de una pareja; los niveles más altos de marcaje ocurren en machos vasectomizados que viven con hembras intactas (Pendergrass et al, 1989). El comportamiento de marcaje en el jerbo de Mongolia es un comportamiento innato y no aprendido (Arkin et al, 2000).…”