Population growth and social structure of confined colonies of mongolian gerbils: Scent gland size and marking behaviour as indices of social status

Socially induced delayed reproduction in female Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus): Is there anything special about dominant females?

“…Results of previous studies of Mongolian gerbils, the subject species in the experiments described here, indicate that in intact gerbil families (a) the mother of a litter is more likely to bear young than are her daughters, and (b) the age of daughters at first parturition is significantly greater in the presence of a mother than in her absence (Agren, 1984; Clark & Galef, 2001; Payman & Swanson, 1980; Swanson & Lockley, 1978).…”

Socially induced delayed reproduction in female Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus): Is there anything special about dominant females?

“…Results of previous studies of Mongolian gerbils, the subject species in the experiments described here, indicate that in intact gerbil families (a) the mother of a litter is more likely to bear young than are her daughters, and (b) the age of daughters at first parturition is significantly greater in the presence of a mother than in her absence (Agren, 1984; Clark & Galef, 2001; Payman & Swanson, 1980; Swanson & Lockley, 1978).…”

Socially induced infertility: familial effects on reproductive development of female Mongolian gerbils

“…In Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, the subject species in the present experiment, it has been shown repeatedly in the laboratory that a founding female is far more likely to reproduce than her daughters (Swanson & Lockley 1978;Payman & Swanson 1980;Agren 1981French 1994). Often, the ovaries of adult, nonbreeding female group members are atrophic and lack corpora lutea (Swanson & Lockley 1978).…”

“…Consistent with the first of these interpretations, Payman & Swanson (1980) and Swanson & Lockley (1978) attributed failure of many young female gerbils to achieve reproductive maturity when maintained in their natal families to suppressive effects of an older, actively breeding female. Swanson & Lockley (1978) found that if the mother of a family group of gerbils was removed, her daughters showed rapid development of their scent glands, and Payman & Swanson (1980) report that after a mother died her daughters were significantly more likely to reproduce than when she was present. However, in Payman & Swanson's (1980) study, only those young females whose dams were rearing second litters failed to develop adult secondary sexual characteristics.…”

“…In many group-living rodent species, a single female in each group produces most or all of the young, and reproduction by other female group members is either delayed or permanently prevented (Keane et al 1994;Burda 1995;Faulkes & Abbott 1997;Brant et al 1998; for review, see Solomon & Getz 1997). In Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, the subject species in the present experiment, it has been shown repeatedly in the laboratory that a founding female is far more likely to reproduce than her daughters (Swanson & Lockley 1978;Payman & Swanson 1980;Agren 1981French 1994). Often, the ovaries of adult, nonbreeding female group members are atrophic and lack corpora lutea (Swanson & Lockley 1978).…”

Effects of an isolated or enriched environment after handling on sexual maturation and behaviour in male and female rats

“…Isolation had the opposite effect. Delayed puberty in socially housed females has been reported for rats (Hansen et al, 1978;Swanson et al, 1983), mice (Vandenbergh, 1973;Drickamer, 1981), gerbils (Swanson & Lockley, 1977;Swanson & Payman, 1978;Payman & Swanson, 1980) and deermice (Sadleir, 1965 ;Terman, 1968). This inhibition appears to be mediated through pheromones and may play a role in curtailment of numbers in dense populations.…”

Socially induced delayed reproduction in female Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus): Is there anything special about dominant females?

“…Results of previous studies of Mongolian gerbils, the subject species in the experiments described here, indicate that in intact gerbil families (a) the mother of a litter is more likely to bear young than are her daughters, and (b) the age of daughters at first parturition is significantly greater in the presence of a mother than in her absence (Agren, 1984; Clark & Galef, 2001; Payman & Swanson, 1980; Swanson & Lockley, 1978).…”

Socially induced infertility: familial effects on reproductive development of female Mongolian gerbils

“…In Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, the subject species in the present experiment, it has been shown repeatedly in the laboratory that a founding female is far more likely to reproduce than her daughters (Swanson & Lockley 1978;Payman & Swanson 1980;Agren 1981French 1994). Often, the ovaries of adult, nonbreeding female group members are atrophic and lack corpora lutea (Swanson & Lockley 1978).…”

“…Consistent with the first of these interpretations, Payman & Swanson (1980) and Swanson & Lockley (1978) attributed failure of many young female gerbils to achieve reproductive maturity when maintained in their natal families to suppressive effects of an older, actively breeding female. Swanson & Lockley (1978) found that if the mother of a family group of gerbils was removed, her daughters showed rapid development of their scent glands, and Payman & Swanson (1980) report that after a mother died her daughters were significantly more likely to reproduce than when she was present. However, in Payman & Swanson's (1980) study, only those young females whose dams were rearing second litters failed to develop adult secondary sexual characteristics.…”

“…In many group-living rodent species, a single female in each group produces most or all of the young, and reproduction by other female group members is either delayed or permanently prevented (Keane et al 1994;Burda 1995;Faulkes & Abbott 1997;Brant et al 1998; for review, see Solomon & Getz 1997). In Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, the subject species in the present experiment, it has been shown repeatedly in the laboratory that a founding female is far more likely to reproduce than her daughters (Swanson & Lockley 1978;Payman & Swanson 1980;Agren 1981French 1994). Often, the ovaries of adult, nonbreeding female group members are atrophic and lack corpora lutea (Swanson & Lockley 1978).…”

Effects of an isolated or enriched environment after handling on sexual maturation and behaviour in male and female rats

“…Isolation had the opposite effect. Delayed puberty in socially housed females has been reported for rats (Hansen et al, 1978;Swanson et al, 1983), mice (Vandenbergh, 1973;Drickamer, 1981), gerbils (Swanson & Lockley, 1977;Swanson & Payman, 1978;Payman & Swanson, 1980) and deermice (Sadleir, 1965 ;Terman, 1968). This inhibition appears to be mediated through pheromones and may play a role in curtailment of numbers in dense populations.…”

Socially induced delayed reproduction in female Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus): Is there anything special about dominant females?

“…Results of previous studies of Mongolian gerbils, the subject species in the experiments described here, indicate that in intact gerbil families (a) the mother of a litter is more likely to bear young than are her daughters, and (b) the age of daughters at first parturition is significantly greater in the presence of a mother than in her absence (Agren, 1984; Clark & Galef, 2001; Payman & Swanson, 1980; Swanson & Lockley, 1978).…”

Socially induced infertility: familial effects on reproductive development of female Mongolian gerbils

“…In Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, the subject species in the present experiment, it has been shown repeatedly in the laboratory that a founding female is far more likely to reproduce than her daughters (Swanson & Lockley 1978;Payman & Swanson 1980;Agren 1981French 1994). Often, the ovaries of adult, nonbreeding female group members are atrophic and lack corpora lutea (Swanson & Lockley 1978).…”

“…Consistent with the first of these interpretations, Payman & Swanson (1980) and Swanson & Lockley (1978) attributed failure of many young female gerbils to achieve reproductive maturity when maintained in their natal families to suppressive effects of an older, actively breeding female. Swanson & Lockley (1978) found that if the mother of a family group of gerbils was removed, her daughters showed rapid development of their scent glands, and Payman & Swanson (1980) report that after a mother died her daughters were significantly more likely to reproduce than when she was present. However, in Payman & Swanson's (1980) study, only those young females whose dams were rearing second litters failed to develop adult secondary sexual characteristics.…”

“…In many group-living rodent species, a single female in each group produces most or all of the young, and reproduction by other female group members is either delayed or permanently prevented (Keane et al 1994;Burda 1995;Faulkes & Abbott 1997;Brant et al 1998; for review, see Solomon & Getz 1997). In Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, the subject species in the present experiment, it has been shown repeatedly in the laboratory that a founding female is far more likely to reproduce than her daughters (Swanson & Lockley 1978;Payman & Swanson 1980;Agren 1981French 1994). Often, the ovaries of adult, nonbreeding female group members are atrophic and lack corpora lutea (Swanson & Lockley 1978).…”

Effects of an isolated or enriched environment after handling on sexual maturation and behaviour in male and female rats

“…Isolation had the opposite effect. Delayed puberty in socially housed females has been reported for rats (Hansen et al, 1978;Swanson et al, 1983), mice (Vandenbergh, 1973;Drickamer, 1981), gerbils (Swanson & Lockley, 1977;Swanson & Payman, 1978;Payman & Swanson, 1980) and deermice (Sadleir, 1965 ;Terman, 1968). This inhibition appears to be mediated through pheromones and may play a role in curtailment of numbers in dense populations.…”