Partner Preference of Intact and Ovariectomized Female Gray Short-Tailed Opossums (Monodelphis domestica)

Fadem, Barbara H.; Dziadosz, Daniel; Jackson, Leslie M.; Harder, John D.

doi:10.1006/hbeh.2000.1618

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…These dimorphisms are established very early in postnatal development of M. domestica and other metatherians, at a time when there seem to be no clear differences in the levels of circulating androgens and estrogens (for review, see Gilmore 2002). Recent data from the wallaby suggest that androstanediol, rather than testosterone or dihydroxytestosterone, is the relevant circulating androgenic molecule , so findings from M. domestica will need to be reevaluated; but in any case, the sexual behaviors of adult M. domestica can be modified by postnatal exposure to sex hormones (e.g., Fadem 2000Fadem , 2001Fadem et al 2000, and references therein), suggesting an early hormonal influence on brain sexual differentiation (see Gilmore 2002). There is also strong evidence that male pheromones are important effectors of female body growth, ovarian development and cycling, and sexual behavior in M. domestica (e.g., Jackson and Harder 2000;Harder and Jackson 2003;Zuri and Halpern 2005;Wang et al 2007, and references therein), but the genetic pathways mediating these responses are virtually unexplored.…”

Section: Reproduction and Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The opossum genome: Insights and opportunities from an alternative mammal

Samollow¹

2008

Genome Res.

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The strategic importance of the genome sequence of the gray, short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica, accrues from both the unique phylogenetic position of metatherian (marsupial) mammals and the fundamental biologic characteristics of metatherians that distinguish them from other mammalian species. Metatherian and eutherian (placental) mammals are more closely related to one another than to other vertebrate groups, and owing to this close relationship they share fundamentally similar genetic structures and molecular processes. However, during their long evolutionary separation these alternative mammals have developed distinctive anatomical, physiologic, and genetic features that hold tremendous potential for examining relationships between the molecular structures of mammalian genomes and the functional attributes of their components. Comparative analyses using the opossum genome have already provided a wealth of new evidence regarding the importance of noncoding elements in the evolution of mammalian genomes, the role of transposable elements in driving genomic innovation, and the relationships between recombination rate, nucleotide composition, and the genomic distributions of repetitive elements. The genome sequence is also beginning to enlarge our understanding of the evolution and function of the vertebrate immune system, and it provides an alternative model for investigating mechanisms of genomic imprinting. Equally important, availability of the genome sequence is fostering the development of new research tools for physical and functional genomic analyses of M. domestica that are expanding its versatility as an experimental system for a broad range of research applications in basic biology and biomedically oriented research.Compilation and publication of the genome sequence of the gray short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica, a metatherian (marsupial) mammal (Mikkelsen et al. 2007b), create unique opportunities for investigating the evolutionary processes that have shaped the structural and functional attributes of mammalian and other vertebrate genomes. These opportunities arise from both the unique phylogenetic position of metatherians in the vertebrate scheme and some fundamental characteristics of metatherians that distinguish them from other mammalian species.Modern mammals comprise three major lineages (Fig. 1). Judged from multiple nuclear sequence and mtDNA alignments, the most closely related of these, the Metatheria and Eutheria (placental mammals), diverged from their most recent common ancestor ∼173-190 million years ago (Mya) (Kumar and Hedges 1998;Woodburne et al. 2003;van Rheede et al. 2006). The other major clade, the Prototheria, of which the egg-laying monotremes (platypus and four species of echidnas) are the only living representatives, branched off 20-35 million years (Myr) prior to the metatherian-eutherian divergence (Phillips and Penny 2003;Woodburne et al. 2003;van Rheede et al. 2006). 2 By way of reference, the separation of mammals and birds occurred at least 310 Mya (d...

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Section: Reproduction and Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The opossum genome: Insights and opportunities from an alternative mammal

Samollow¹

2008

Genome Res.

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“…Intact females aggressively repulse precopulatory advances by males even while displaying proceptive behaviors such as rump dragging (Baggott et al 1987;Fadem et al 2000). Females continue to be aggressive and may attempt to bite the male during copulation (Fadem et al 1996(Fadem et al , 2000. Ca.…”

Section: Behavior Monodelphis Domestica Is Mainly Active Duringmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ovariectomized females with estradiol implants spend less time with castrated males (Fadem et al 2000). Intact females aggressively repulse precopulatory advances by males even while displaying proceptive behaviors such as rump dragging (Baggott et al 1987;Fadem et al 2000).…”

Section: Behavior Monodelphis Domestica Is Mainly Active Duringmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monodelphis domestica

Macrini

2004

Mammalian Species

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(Fig. 1) is a pouehless marsup ial with a semi prehensile short tail (ca. one-half the body length) that is well furred for the first 1-2 cm near the base and nearly hairle ss posterior to that (Emmons and Feer 1990). Face and dorsal pelage are a uniform grayish brown; cheeks and sides are paler gray with yellowish tinge ; feet are whitish ; and chin and ventrum are lighter and gray to buff in color with an orange tinge (Emmons and Feer 1990;Redford and Eisenberg 1992 ;Thomas 1888) .Captive adult females and males weigh 80--100 g and 90--150 g, respectively (Fadem and Rayve 1985) . Length of head and body of captive adults ranges from 170 to 200 mm and len gth of tail is 60--80 mm (Fadem and Rayve 1985). Compared with captive gray short-tailed opossum s, wild-caught adults are lighter (mean body mass, 71.4 g; range , 58-95 g; n = 11) and smaller (Redford and Eisenberg 1992); average (ranges in mm) measurements of wildcaught adults are total length, 212 .3 (178-270; n = 18); length of head and body, 143.2 (123-179; n = 18); length of tail, 69.1 (46-91; n = 18); length of hind foot, 17.7 (14-22; n = 18); and length of ear, 19.8 (14-25; n = 17).Measurements (in mm) from 1 preserved female (Thomas 1888) are length of head and body, 131; length of tail , 75; length of hind foot, 18; distance from muzzle to eye, 17.3; and length of ear, 15. Measurements (in mm) from 1 skull of an adult female M. domestica ( Fig. 2; Thomas 1888) are basal length, 35 .7; great est breadth of skull, 19.8; length of nasals, 17.8 ; greatest breadth of nasals , 4.6; least breadth of nasals, 2.3; intertemporal constriction (least breadth between orbitotemporal fossae), 6.0; palate length, 20.3; palat e breadth outside M3, 12.1 ; palat e breadth inside M3, 7.1; length of palatal vacuities, 2.9; combined lengths of basisphenoid and basioecipital bones, 12.6; length from basisphenoid-presphenoid suture to anterior tip of premaxilla, 23 .2; ratio of basifacial axis to basicranial axis, multiplied by 100, 184; and combined length of MI-3, 6.6 . Addit ional average skull measurements with range (in mm) of M. domestica (Wible 2003) are premaxillarycondylar length, 38 .7 (26.7-44.7; n = 27); greatest zygomatic breadth, 20.8 (14.3-25.0; n = 28); and length of mandibl e, 28 .8 (19 .0--34.4; n = 29).

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Miscellaneous Small Mammal Behavior

Johnson¹

2006

Exotic Pet Behavior

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Partner Preference of Intact and Ovariectomized Female Gray Short-Tailed Opossums (Monodelphis domestica)

Cited by 7 publications

References 17 publications

The opossum genome: Insights and opportunities from an alternative mammal

The opossum genome: Insights and opportunities from an alternative mammal

Monodelphis domestica

Miscellaneous Small Mammal Behavior

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