Maternal Aggression in Mammals

Svare, Bruce

doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-3150-6_5

Cited by 60 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…This allows for the reinsemination of a female immediately after parturition and a second delivery at the time when the first litter is weaned (see : vom Saal & Howard, 1982;Rosenblatt & Siege], 1983). Postpartum aggression in laboratory stocks of mice does not begin until the 3rd day postpartum (Svare, 1981). We have not observed any evidence of aggression by lactating wild-type females toward male intruders on Day 2 postpartum, but wild-type females have been observed to exhibit aggression toward intruder males on Day 3 postpartum (present results as well as unpublished observations).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 41%

Infanticide by virgin CF‐1 and wild male house mice (Mus musculus): Effects of age, prolonged isolation, and testing procedure

McCarthy

Saal

1986

Developmental Psychobiology

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The frequency of infanticide by juvenile, young-adult, and adult male house mice (Mus musculus) was compared in CF-1 albino mice and the F1-F4 male offspring of wild mice trapped in Missouri. When tested in their home cages for their behavior toward a single 2-day-old pup after being individually housed for 5 days, juvenile CF-1 and wild males were equally likely to exhibit infanticide (about 35%). But, adult wild males were significantly more likely to exhibit infanticide (about 90%) than were adult CF-1 males (about 45%). We propose that differences in exposure to testosterone during fetal life may contribute to the difference in the incidence of infanticide between CF-1 and wild males. Prolonged isolation (45 days) significantly reduced the proportion of wild male mice that exhibited infanticide when the males were tested in their home cages, but not when the males were tested by being placed into the cage of lactating females and their 2-day-old young. Virtually all adult wild males exhibited infanticide when they were tested in their home cages (with either a 2-day-old or 7-day-old pup) or when they were placed into the cages of lactating wild female mice and their 2-day-old young. But, when adult wild males were placed with lactating wild females on Day 7 postpartum, the females attacked the males and most males were prevented from exhibiting infanticide.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 41%

Infanticide by virgin CF‐1 and wild male house mice (Mus musculus): Effects of age, prolonged isolation, and testing procedure

McCarthy

Saal

1986

Developmental Psychobiology

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“…Females were highly aggressive towards unfamiliar males both in the presence and absence of their partners, whereas females never attacked their own pairmate. Because females had their pups with them, the females' aggression can be considered defense of young against a potentially infanticidal intruder (Svare 1981;Wolff 1985) that may also operate to eliminate a potential mating partner. Similar social and mating preferences and aggression against unfamiliar males also have been reported for postpartum females in the monogamous prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster (Getz et al 1981;Witt et al 1990), but prairie vole females show a higher incidence of infidelity than P. californicus (Getz et al 1981).…”

Section: Female Sexual Fidelitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms of sexual fidelity in the monogamous California mouse, Peromyscus californicus

Gubernick

Nordby

1993

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Peromyscus californicus are exclusively monogamous in the wild. We examined in the laboratory whether established pairs of male and female P. calijbrnicus would remain faithful when given the opportunity to mate with an opposite sex stranger, either in the presence or absence of their partner. When the partner was present she or he was tethered and could not intervene. Females in postpartum estrus (day 0 postpartum) preferred to associate with their pairmate rather than the unfamiliar virgin male. Females also preferred to mate with their partner, but 15-20% of the females mated with the unfamiliar male both in the presence and absence of their partner. Paired males were tested with an unfamiliar, sexually inexperienced estrous female on days 4 and 8 postpartum with their partners either absent or present but not in postpartum estrus, and on day 0 in the absence of their partner. Males preferred to associate with their pairmate. Contrary to theoretical expectations, males did not copulate with the estrous female when given the opportunity regardless of whether their partner was present or not. Furthermore, few males (2/13) tested in the absence of their partner mated with a sexually experienced, postpartum estrous female.These results indicate that monogamy in P. californicus is maintained by a strong attraction and preference of pairmates for each other and by self-restraint from mating with others. Male mate guarding may further ensure female faithfulness. Males exhibit apparently more sexual fidelity than females.

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“…Parturient female mice and rats are known to disp!ay intense aggressive behavior toward an intruder (for review see Svare 1981). An early study by found that lithium chloride did not alter maternal aggression in TO strain mice.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Acute and chronic effects of psychotropic drugs on maternal aggression in mice

Yoshimura

Ogawa

1989

Psychopharmacology

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The present study investigated the acute and chronic effects of psychotropic drugs on maternal aggression in mice. All female mice had been singly housed since the end of the 4-day mating period. Behavioral testing for acute drug effects was carried out on postpartum days 5 and 7. Chronic drug treatment was started immediately after removal of the partner male, and was terminated on the 3rd postpartum day; behavioral testing was done on the 5th postpartum day. Acute administration of chlordiazepoxide (CDP; 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg, IP) showed a biphasic effect on maternal aggression; 10 mg/kg CDP significantly increased the frequency of bites, while 15 mg/kg CDP significantly decreased it. Imipramine (IMP; 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg, IP) decreased the frequency of bites in a dose-dependent manner. Haloperidol (HAL; 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg, IP) also decreased the frequency of bites dose dependently, but 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg HAL decreased both the frequency and duration of locomotion. Chronic treatment with either CDP (5 and 10 mg/kg, IP) or HAL (0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg, IP) failed to alter the frequency of bites. This evidence indicates that the antidepressant imipramine has a specific action in alleviating postpartum female aggression, and suggests that female aggression in mice is a useful tool for differentiating the actions of psychotropic drugs.

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Maternal Aggression in Mammals

Cited by 60 publications

References 42 publications

Infanticide by virgin CF‐1 and wild male house mice (Mus musculus): Effects of age, prolonged isolation, and testing procedure

Infanticide by virgin CF‐1 and wild male house mice (Mus musculus): Effects of age, prolonged isolation, and testing procedure

Mechanisms of sexual fidelity in the monogamous California mouse, Peromyscus californicus

Acute and chronic effects of psychotropic drugs on maternal aggression in mice

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