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1
Rabon Jr., David R., D. Kim Sawrey, and Wm David Webster. "Infant ultrasonic vocalizations and parental responses in two species of voles (Microtus)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 79, no. 5 (May 1, 2001): 830–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z01-043.
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When separated from conspecifics, the young of many rodent species produce ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) that may facilitate parental approach. Ultrasounds were recorded from infants (014 days post partum) of two closely related species that exhibit different social systems, the montane vole (Microtus montanus) and the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster). Infant prairie voles emitted a greater number of USVs when isolated from conspecifics than did infant montane voles. Infant prairie voles also emitted a greater number of USVs in the presence of a parent than did infant montane voles. For both species, parental responses to individual infants were most rapid when pups were at those ages when they emitted the greatest numbers of USVs. Prairie vole parents approached pups most rapidly on days 68, whereas montane vole parents approached pups most rapidly on days 1214. There were no differences between sires and dams of either species in their latencies to approach and contact pups. In general, however, infants of both species were retrieved more rapidly by dams than by sires. We suggest that differences in ultrasound production among vole species may correlate with differences in their species-specific social systems. It appears that the number of USVs produced by pups may vary with the amount of parent-pup contact typical of each species.
2
McGuire, Betty, William E. Bemis, and Francoise Vermeylen. "Parental behaviour of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) and meadow voles (M. pennsylvanicus) in relation to sex of offspring." Behaviour 151, no. 4 (2014): 535–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1568539x-00003141.
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Monogamous parents are predicted to invest equally in male and female offspring whereas polygynous parents in good condition are predicted to invest more in male than female offspring. Sex-biased parental investment can occur in three ways: (1) mothers and fathers invest different amounts of care in their offspring (effect of parent sex); (2) parents invest different amounts of care in male and female offspring (effect of offspring sex); and (3) one parent, but not the other, invests different amounts of care in male and female offspring (interaction between parent sex and offspring sex). Studies of parent–offspring interactions in rodents have focused on either effect of parent sex or effect of offspring sex, but not the interaction between parent sex and offspring sex, and most studies have examined only one species. We studied prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), a monogamous species, and meadow voles (M. pennsylvanicus), a polygynous (or promiscuous) species, under laboratory conditions designed to simulate field conditions. For each species, we recorded the frequency and duration with which mothers and fathers licked their male and female offspring. We found that meadow vole fathers licked male offspring for longer durations than female offspring. However, prairie vole fathers, prairie vole mothers, and meadow vole mothers did not lick male and female pups for different durations. From the standpoint of the pups, male prairie vole pups, female prairie vole pups, and female meadow vole pups were licked for longer durations by their mothers than by their fathers. In contrast, for male meadow vole pups there was no difference in the duration with which they were licked by mothers and fathers. We also detected effects of litter size: as litter size increased, the frequency and duration of pup licking decreased for mothers and increased for fathers. For duration (but not frequency) of pup licking, these changes were more dramatic in meadow voles than in prairie voles. Our data are generally consistent with predictions that monogamous parents, such as prairie voles, should invest equally in male and female offspring whereas polygynous (or promiscuous) parents, such as meadow voles, should invest more in male offspring when conditions are favourable. Our data also highlight the complexity of parent–offspring interactions in rodents and emphasize the need to examine whether male and female offspring within a species differ in their behaviour or ability to obtain parental care.
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Curtis, Paul D., Gwen B. Curtis, and William B. Miller. "Relative Resistance of Ornamental Flowering Bulbs to Feeding Damage by Voles." HortTechnology 19, no. 3 (January 2009): 499–503. http://dx.doi.org/10.21273/hortsci.19.3.499.
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Many plants have mechanisms of physical or chemical resistance that protect them from herbivores in their environment. Vertebrates such as meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) cause significant damage to ornamental plantings and home gardens. Our goal was to identify flowering bulbs that could be used to design more herbivore-resistant home landscapes. Single-choice feeding trials with captive prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) were used to assess the relative resistance of 30 bulb varieties to deter rodents from consuming fresh plant material and freeze-dried, powdered bulb mixed with a preferred food (applesauce). Each fresh bulb and dried-bulb/applesauce mix was offered twice to 12 to 15 pairs of adult prairie voles. Bulb varieties that resulted in the lowest mean consumption were assumed to be the most resistant to feeding activity. With fresh bulbs, only tulips (Tulipa spp.) exhibited no resistance to prairie vole feeding. Dried-bulb/applesauce mixes containing hyacinth (Hyacinth spp.), crocus (Crocus spp.), corn leaf iris (Iris bucharica), dutch and dwarf iris (Iris reticulata), onion (Allium spp.), and squill (Scilla siberica) were also readily consumed, and thus, these bulbs could be damaged at sites with high rodent activity. Daffodil (Narcissus spp.), painted arum (Arum italicum), camass (Camassia leichtlinii), glory-of-the-snow (Chinodoxa forbesii), autumn crocus (Colchicum spp.), crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis), persian fritillaria (Fritillaria persica), snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis), and grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) bulbs were resistant to prairie vole feeding in both forms (fresh bulbs and dried-bulb/applesauce mixes). Consequently, all of the specialty flower bulbs tested, except tulip, exhibited some resistance to prairie vole feeding in their fresh form, and could be suitable for designing herbivore-resistant landscapes.
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Brook, Rodney W., Maria Pasitschniak-Arts, David W. Howerter, and François Messier. "Influence of rodent abundance on nesting success of prairie waterfowl." Canadian Journal of Zoology 86, no. 6 (June 2008): 497–506. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z08-019.
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Most waterfowl nesting failure in the prairie biome is attributed to predation. However, the contribution of small mammal abundance to the prairie predator–prey cycle and how this affects waterfowl productivity is not known. We modelled seasonal variability of nesting success, including a number of habitat and nest-related variables, to quantify influence of rodent abundance for prairie nesting waterfowl for six study sites in the Prairie Pothole Region of Canada, 1996–1998. We estimated there is a curvilinear relationship between the abundance of meadow voles ( Microtus pennsylvanicus (Ord, 1815)) and the nesting success of ducks. The relationship has characteristics of the alternate prey hypothesis at low vole density and characteristics of the shared prey hypothesis at higher densities. At low vole densities, duck nests appear to be buffered from predation by voles but, at higher densities, nesting success was affected negatively. We recommend that predator–prey dynamics should be included as an integral part of management plans for nesting waterfowl and suggest further research using rigorous experiment design to elucidate mechanisms and pathways responsible for this observed relationship.
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Willett, Jaime A., Ashlyn G. Johnson, Andrea R. Vogel, Heather B. Patisaul, Lisa A. McGraw, and John Meitzen. "Nucleus accumbens core medium spiny neuron electrophysiological properties and partner preference behavior in the adult male prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster." Journal of Neurophysiology 119, no. 4 (April 1, 2018): 1576–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/jn.00737.2017.
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Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens have long been implicated in the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie numerous social and motivated behaviors as studied in rodents such as rats. Recently, the prairie vole has emerged as an important model animal for studying social behaviors, particularly regarding monogamy because of its ability to form pair bonds. However, to our knowledge, no study has assessed intrinsic vole MSN electrophysiological properties or tested how these properties vary with the strength of the pair bond between partnered voles. Here we performed whole cell patch-clamp recordings of MSNs in acute brain slices of the nucleus accumbens core (NAc) of adult male voles exhibiting strong and weak preferences for their respective partnered females. We first document vole MSN electrophysiological properties and provide comparison to rat MSNs. Vole MSNs demonstrated many canonical electrophysiological attributes shared across species but exhibited notable differences in excitability compared with rat MSNs. Second, we assessed male vole partner preference behavior and tested whether MSN electrophysiological properties varied with partner preference strength. Male vole partner preference showed extensive variability. We found that decreases in miniature excitatory postsynaptic current amplitude and the slope of the evoked action potential firing rate to depolarizing current injection weakly associated with increased preference for the partnered female. This suggests that excitatory synaptic strength and neuronal excitability may be decreased in MSNs in males exhibiting stronger preference for a partnered female. Overall, these data provide extensive documentation of MSN electrophysiological characteristics and their relationship to social behavior in the prairie vole. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This research represents the first assessment of prairie vole nucleus accumbens core medium spiny neuron intrinsic electrophysiological properties and probes the relationship between cellular excitability and social behavior.
6
Sinclair, J. A., and R. L. Lochmiller. "The winter immunoenhancement hypothesis: associations among immunity, density, and survival in prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) populations." Canadian Journal of Zoology 78, no. 2 (March 5, 2000): 254–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z99-203.
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Seasonal variations in photoperiod, temperature, and population density have been shown to modulate immune responsiveness of animals in laboratory studies. To examine these associations under natural conditions, we monitored 3 populations of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) for temporal variations in selected immunological parameters, population density, and survival rate from winter 1996 to spring 1997. Spontaneous and cytokine-stimulated T-cell proliferative responsiveness of prairie voles peaked in winter and declined in spring. Relative organ mass, hemolytic-complement activity, and in vivo hypersensitivity responses varied temporally but showed no clear seasonal trend. The population density and survival rate of all 3 prairie vole populations varied temporally and correlated with measures of immunity. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the model containing relative spleen mass, cytokine-stimulated T-cell proliferation, and in vivo hypersensitivity explained a significant amount of variability in population density, while cytokine-stimulated T-cell proliferation and relative thymus mass explained a significant amount of variability in survival rate. The results suggest that seasonal environmental changes can enhance immune responsiveness of a host and may counteract the immunoenhancing effects of photoperiod in wild populations of prairie voles. Our results also suggest that there is an association between immune function and demography in wild populations.
7
Ferkin, Michael H. "Patterns of sexually distinct scents in Microtus spp." Canadian Journal of Zoology 79, no. 9 (September 1, 2001): 1621–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z01-102.
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The sources of sexually discriminable scent were identified for montane voles, Microtus montanus, and compared with known sources in other species of voles. I tested two different hypotheses. The data support the hypothesis that each vole species has a unique number and pattern of sources of sexually distinct scent. The location, pattern, and number of these sources of scent on the integument may allow individuals to convey particular types of information to conspecifics. The data also support the hypothesis that the greater the number of sources of scent for signaling opposite-sex conspecifics, the greater the number of encounters that individuals within that species have with opposite-sex conspecifics. The montane vole, a semisocial species, has six sources of scent, which is intermediate between the numbers found in the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus), an asocial species, and the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), a social species. The results suggest that the number, pattern, and locations of sexually distinct scents are positively associated with the frequency with which individuals encounter the scent marks of neighboring conspecifics.
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Hammock, Elizabeth A. D., and Larry J. Young. "Oxytocin, vasopressin and pair bonding: implications for autism." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 361, no. 1476 (November 6, 2006): 2187–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2006.1939.
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Understanding the neurobiological substrates regulating normal social behaviours may provide valuable insights in human behaviour, including developmental disorders such as autism that are characterized by pervasive deficits in social behaviour. Here, we review the literature which suggests that the neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin play critical roles in modulating social behaviours, with a focus on their role in the regulation of social bonding in monogamous rodents. Oxytocin and vasopressin contribute to a wide variety of social behaviours, including social recognition, communication, parental care, territorial aggression and social bonding. The effects of these two neuropeptides are species-specific and depend on species-specific receptor distributions in the brain. Comparative studies in voles with divergent social structures have revealed some of the neural and genetic mechanisms of social-bonding behaviour. Prairie voles are socially monogamous; males and females form long-term pair bonds, establish a nest site and rear their offspring together. In contrast, montane and meadow voles do not form a bond with a mate and only the females take part in rearing the young. Species differences in the density of receptors for oxytocin and vasopressin in ventral forebrain reward circuitry differentially reinforce social-bonding behaviour in the two species. High levels of oxytocin receptor (OTR) in the nucleus accumbens and high levels of vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR) in the ventral pallidum contribute to monogamous social structure in the prairie vole. While little is known about the genetic factors contributing to species-differences in OTR distribution, the species-specific distribution pattern of the V1aR is determined in part by a species-specific repetitive element, or ‘microsatellite’, in the 5′ regulatory region of the gene encoding V1aR ( avpr1a ). This microsatellite is highly expanded in the prairie vole (as well as the monogamous pine vole) compared to a very short version in the promiscuous montane and meadow voles. These species differences in microsatellite sequence are sufficient to change gene expression in cell culture. Within the prairie vole species, intraspecific variation in the microsatellite also modulates gene expression in vitro as well as receptor distribution patterns in vivo and influences the probability of social approach and bonding behaviour. Similar genetic variation in the human AVPR1A may contribute to variations in human social behaviour, including extremes outside the normal range of behaviour and those found in autism spectrum disorders. In sum, comparative studies in pair-bonding rodents have revealed neural and genetic mechanisms contributing to social-bonding behaviour. These studies have generated testable hypotheses regarding the motivational systems and underlying molecular neurobiology involved in social engagement and social bond formation that may have important implications for the core social deficits characterizing autism spectrum disorders.
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Lambert, Connor T., James B. Lichter, Adam N. Perry, Samuel A. Castillo, Brian Keane, Bruce S. Cushing, and Nancy G. Solomon. "Medial amygdala ERα expression influences monogamous behaviour of male prairie voles in the field." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 288, no. 1956 (August 4, 2021): 20210318. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.0318.
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Formation of long-term pair-bonds is a complex process, involving multiple neural circuits and is context- and experience-dependent. While laboratory studies using prairie voles have identified the involvement of several neural mechanisms, efforts to translate these findings into predictable field outcomes have been inconsistent at best. Here we test the hypothesis that inhibition of oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα) in the medial amygdala of male prairie voles would significantly increase the expression of social monogamy in the field. Prairie vole populations of equal sex ratio were established in outdoor enclosures with males bred for high levels of ERα expression and low levels of prosocial behaviour associated with social monogamy. Medial amygdala ERα expression was knocked down in half the males per population. Knockdown males displayed a greater degree of social monogamy in five of the eight behavioural indices assessed. This study demonstrates the robust nature of ERα in playing a critical role in the expression of male social monogamy in a field setting.
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Fletcher, Kelsey L., Brittany N. Whitley, Lisa A. Treidel, David Thompson, Annie Williams, Jose C. Noguera, Jennie R. Stevenson, and Mark F. Haussmann. "Voluntary locomotor activity mitigates oxidative damage associated with isolation stress in the prairie vole ( Microtus ochrogaster )." Biology Letters 11, no. 7 (July 2015): 20150178. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0178.
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Organismal performance directly depends on an individual's ability to cope with a wide array of physiological challenges. For social animals, social isolation is a stressor that has been shown to increase oxidative stress. Another physiological challenge, routine locomotor activity, has been found to decrease oxidative stress levels. Because we currently do not have a good understanding of how diverse physiological systems like stress and locomotion interact to affect oxidative balance, we studied this interaction in the prairie vole ( Microtus ochrogaster ). Voles were either pair housed or isolated and within the isolation group, voles either had access to a moving wheel or a stationary wheel. We found that chronic periodic isolation caused increased levels of oxidative stress. However, within the vole group that was able to run voluntarily, longer durations of locomotor activity were associated with less oxidative stress. Our work suggests that individuals who demonstrate increased locomotor activity may be better able to cope with the social stressor of isolation.
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Hammond, Kimberly A. "Seasonal changes in gut size of the wild prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 71, no. 4 (April 1, 1993): 820–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z93-107.
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The gut sizes of wild adult male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) were found to fluctuate throughout the year. This fluctuation was highly variable, but the changes were mainly increases in the mass of the cecum and small intestine during the fall and early winter. The gut sizes (length and dry mass) of field animals were found to be similar to those of laboratory voles fed a high-fiber diet (> 40% cell wall) and (or) held at a low temperature (5 °C). In almost all cases, the gut sizes of wild voles were greater than those of laboratory voles maintained at 23 °C and fed low-fiber diets (< 20% cell wall). Despite considerable seasonal variation in gut size, there does not appear to be a strongly repeatable relationship between time of year and changes in gut size. However, because wild voles appear to have larger guts than laboratory voles acclimated to relatively energy-demanding conditions, I suggest that wild voles are living under a greater energy demand and (or) eating lower quality diets than was previously suggested.
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Wolff, Jerry O., Alexander G. Ophir, and Steven M. Phelps. "Asynchronous breeding in the socially monogamous prairie vole." Canadian Journal of Zoology 86, no. 5 (May 2008): 339–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z08-005.
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At least two hypotheses have been proposed for why animals should breed synchronously: (1) to swamp predators and reduce the probability of offspring being killed and (2) to promote monogamy when paternal care is important for offspring survival. Thus prey and monogamous species are likely candidates for synchronous breeding. We conducted an experiment to determine if a prey species, the monogamously breeding prairie vole ( Microtus ochrogaster (Wagner, 1842)), breeds synchronously. We conducted eight replicates in which we placed six nulliparous females and six adult males in semi-natural enclosures for 18–21 days to determine if they bred synchronously. The time of conception ranged from 2 to 18 days within replicates with no indication of breeding synchrony within any of the populations. Thus neither predator avoidance nor paternal care models were supported for prairie voles. We conclude that rodents in general are not good models for breeding synchrony and that females use alternative mating tactics to enhance their lifetime reproductive success. We discuss our results in the context of the prairie vole mating system.
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Voltura, Mary Beth. "Seasonal variation in body composition and gut capacity of the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 75, no. 10 (October 1, 1997): 1714–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z97-798.
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Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) were trapped during different seasons in order to examine simultaneous variation in body composition and gut capacity. Voles in reproductive condition were trapped in May, August, and November but not in February. Body masses of adult voles were lowest during February 1994. Adult males showed no seasonal variation in absolute lipid mass but did exhibit variation in relative fat content (percent body fat), with the highest values found in February 1994. Both absolute lipid mass and relative fat content of adult females varied with month of capture and were higher in February of both 1994 and 1995. Juvenile voles showed no variation in body composition between seasons and had fat levels similar to those of adult voles in the breeding months. Wet mass of the gastrointestinal tract varied with season of capture for both adult males and females, but no distinct pattern was evident. Mass of gut contents varied between trapping periods for adult males, but there were no seasonal differences in the gut contents of adult females or juveniles. The average mass of gut contents was higher than previously reported for field-caught prairie voles; this difference is likely due to the use of snap traps versus live traps.
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Reed, Aaron W., and Norman A. Slade. "Environmental stochasticity: empirical estimates of prairie vole survival with implications for demographic models." Canadian Journal of Zoology 84, no. 5 (May 2006): 635–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z06-037.
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A rich theory exists regarding the potential impact of correlations among vital rates on population projections derived from demographic models. However, relatively little is known about the magnitude of correlations among vital rates in natural populations, particularly in mammals. We used 30 years of mark–recapture data from a population of prairie voles ( Microtus ochrogaster (Wagner, 1842)) to test for differences in survival among mass classes and sexes, in correlations among vital rates, in correlations between vital rates and environmental factors, and in autocorrelation in vital rates. Estimated monthly survival rates did not differ significantly among mass classes and there were no significant cross-correlations among mass classes. Survival of large prairie voles increased in mild winters (i.e., warm temperatures and low snowfall). Survival rates of medium and large voles were negatively autocorrelated at time lags of 9–12 months, and survivals of large voles were positively autocorrelated for time lags of <3 months. These autocorrelations were not explained by patterns of temperature or precipitation. The observed degree of autocorrelation in vital rates is sufficient to affect projections from demographic models, particularly in short-lived taxa that require seasonal or monthly estimation of vital rates.
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Mech, Stephen, Aimee Dunlap, Karen Hodges, and Jerry Wolff. "MULTI-MALE MATING BY PAIRED AND UNPAIRED FEMALE PRAIRIE VOLES (MICROTUS OCHROGASTER)." Behaviour 139, no. 9 (2002): 1147–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15685390260437308.
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AbstractPromiscuous mating is common in female rodents; however what role the female plays in this choice of mates is not clear. Also, whether MMM occurs in the reportedly socially monogamous prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster, and what role mate-guarding plays in deterring MMM is not known. We conducted two experiments to determine if female prairie voles that were not mate-guarded would copulate with multiple males during a given oestrous period. In experiment 1 using females that were unpaired, we allowed females to choose among three males that were tethered and unable to interact with one another, thus eliminating male-male competition and mate guarding. MMM occurred in 55% of 47 trials. Females mated most often with males with whom they spent the most time, thus social preference was a good predictor of sexual preference. The tendency to mate with multiple males increased over time, thus the length of time a male mate guards can affect paternity. In experiment 2 with females that had been paired with a male and were in post-partum oestrus, 5 of 12 (42%) females mated with more than one male and 3 of 12 (25%) females deserted their paired mate and paired with a new novel male. Thus multi-male mating was similar for paired and unpaired females. Our results suggest that female prairie voles that are not mate-guarded will mate with multiple partners.
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DeVries, A. Courtney, Camron L. Johnson, and C. Sue Carter. "Familiarity and gender influence social preferences in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 75, no. 2 (February 1, 1997): 295–301. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z97-037.
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The physiological mechanisms influencing group cohesion and social preferences are largely unstudied in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). In nature, prairie vole family groups usually consist of an adult male and female breeding pair, one or more litters of their offspring, and occasionally unrelated adults. Pair bonds, defined by heterosexual preferences, develop in male and female prairie voles following cohabitation or mating. However, social preferences between members of the same sex also may be important to the maintenance of communal groups. In the present study we compared the development of social preferences for conspecific strangers of the same sex versus preferences for the opposite sex, and examined the effect of the gonadal status of the stimulus animal on initial social preference. The present study revealed that reproductively naive males, but not females, showed initial preferences for partners of the opposite sex. In both sexes preferences for the opposite sex were not influenced by the presence or absence of gonadal hormones. Heterosexual and same-sex preferences for a familiar individual formed following 24 h of nonsexual cohabitation in both males and females. Male and female same-sex preferences, however, were no longer stable when the stranger in the preference test was of the opposite sex to the experimental animal. The development of same-sex preferences may help to maintain group cohesion, but same-sex preferences formed by cohabitation do not withstand the challenge of an opposite-sex stranger.
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Kitanovic, Smiljka, Chad A. Marks-Fife, Quincy A. Parkes, P. Ross Wilderman, James R. Halpert, and M. Denise Dearing. "Cytochrome P450 2B diversity in a dietary specialist—the red tree vole (Arborimus longicaudus)." Journal of Mammalogy 99, no. 3 (May 5, 2018): 578–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyy039.
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Abstract Although herbivores rely on liver enzymes to biotransform plant secondary metabolites ingested in plant-based diets, only a few enzymes from a handful of species have been characterized at the genomic level. In this study, we examined cytochrome P450 2B (CYP2B) sequence diversity and gene copy number in a conifer specialist, the red tree vole (Arborimus longicaudus). We fed captive individuals exclusively Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) foliage, cloned and sequenced their liver CYP2B cDNA, and estimated CYP2B gene copy number. We identified 21 unique CYP2B nucleotide sequences, and 20 unique CYP2B amino acid sequences. Gene copy number of CYP2B was estimated at 7.7 copies per haploid genome. We compared red tree vole CYP2B with CYP2B sequences of a generalist, the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), found in GenBank. Our study revealed that the CYP2B enzymes of red tree voles possess unique sequences compared to CYP2B enzymes of other herbivorous species. The unique combination of amino acid residues at key substrate recognition sites of CYP2B enzymes may underlie the ability of the red tree vole to specialize on a highly toxic diet of Douglas-fir.
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Fredebaugh-Siller, S. L., C. D. Suski, Z. C. Zuckerman, and R. L. Schooley. "Ecological correlates of stress for a habitat generalist in a biofuels landscape." Canadian Journal of Zoology 91, no. 12 (December 2013): 853–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2013-0157.
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Understanding the success of habitat generalist species requires knowledge of how individuals respond to stressors that vary across habitats within landscapes. Habitat structure can affect stress by altering predation risk, conspecific densities, and densities of heterospecific competitors. Increased demand for biofuels will alter habitat structure for species in agroecosystems worldwide. We measured stress responses of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner, 1845)), a widespread habitat generalist, in a biofuels landscape. We quantified fecal corticosterone concentrations for individuals in four biofuel crops: switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus Greef & Deuter ex Hodkinson & Renvoize), mixed prairie, and corn (Zea mays L.). We also evaluated stress responses of deer mice to the annual harvesting of corn. Deer mice inhabiting switchgrass and mixed prairie had higher fecal corticosterone concentrations compared with mice in corn and miscanthus. Fecal corticosterone concentrations correlated positively with abundances of conspecifics and behaviorally dominant voles (prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster (Wagner, 1842); meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus (Ord, 1815)) across habitats. Stress levels of deer mice depended on how habitat structure modified the competitive environment. Deer mice did not exhibit increased fecal corticosterone concentrations in response to corn harvest, a rapid and extensive habitat disturbance common to agroecosystems. Our research is the first to investigate how landscape change due to biofuels expansion can affect stress levels of individuals.
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Scribner, Jennifer L., Eric A. Vance, David S. W. Protter, William M. Sheeran, Elliott Saslow, Ryan T. Cameron, Eric M. Klein, Jessica C. Jimenez, Mazen A. Kheirbek, and Zoe R. Donaldson. "A neuronal signature for monogamous reunion." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117, no. 20 (May 7, 2020): 11076–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1917287117.
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Pair-bond formation depends vitally on neuromodulatory signaling within the nucleus accumbens, but the neuronal dynamics underlying this behavior remain unclear. Using 1-photon in vivo Ca2+ imaging in monogamous prairie voles, we found that pair bonding does not elicit differences in overall nucleus accumbens Ca2+ activity. Instead, we identified distinct ensembles of neurons in this region that are recruited during approach to either a partner or a novel vole. The partner-approach neuronal ensemble increased in size following bond formation, and differences in the size of approach ensembles for partner and novel voles predict bond strength. In contrast, neurons comprising departure ensembles do not change over time and are not correlated with bond strength, indicating that ensemble plasticity is specific to partner approach. Furthermore, the neurons comprising partner and novel-approach ensembles are nonoverlapping while departure ensembles are more overlapping than chance, which may reflect another key feature of approach ensembles. We posit that the features of the partner-approach ensemble and its expansion upon bond formation potentially make it a key neuronal substrate associated with bond formation and maturation.
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Jones, Carolyn, Randall Olson, Alex Chau, Peyton Wickham, Ryan Leriche, Christina Reynolds, Cynthia Moore, et al. "025 Sleep Disruption on an Orbital Shaker alters Glutamate in Prairie Vole Prefrontal Cortex." Sleep 44, Supplement_2 (May 1, 2021): A11—A12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsab072.024.
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Abstract Introduction Glutamate concentrations in the cortex fluctuate with the sleep wake cycle in both rodents and humans. Altered glutamatergic signaling, as well as the early life onset of sleep disturbances have been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder. In order to study how sleep modulates glutamate activity in brain regions relevant to social behavior and development, we disrupted sleep in the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) rodent species and quantified markers of glutamate neurotransmission within the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain responsible for advanced cognition and complex social behaviors. Methods Male and female prairie voles were sleep disrupted using an orbital shaker to deliver automated gentle cage agitation at continuous intervals. Sleep was measured using EEG/EMG signals and paired with real time glutamate concentrations in the prefrontal cortex using an amperometric glutamate biosensor. This same method of sleep disruption was applied early in development (postnatal days 14–21) and the long term effects on brain development were quantified by examining glutamatergic synapses in adulthood. Results Consistent with previous research in rats, glutamate concentration in the prefrontal cortex increased during periods of wake in the prairie vole. Sleep disruption using the orbital shaker method resulted in brief cortical arousals and reduced time in REM sleep. When applied during development, early life sleep disruption resulted in long-term changes in both pre- and post-synaptic components of glutamatergic synapses in the prairie vole prefrontal cortex including increased density of immature spines. Conclusion In the prairie vole rodent model, sleep disruption on an orbital shaker produces a sleep, behavioral, and neurological phenotype that mirrors aspects of autism spectrum disorder including altered features of excitatory neurotransmission within the prefrontal cortex. Studies using this method of sleep disruption combined with real time biosensors for excitatory neurotransmitters will enhance our understanding of modifiable risk factors, such as sleep, that contribute to the altered development of glutamatergic synapses in the brain and their relationship to social behavior. Support (if any) NSF #1926818, VA CDA #IK2 BX002712, Portland VA Research Foundation, NIH NHLBI 5T32HL083808-10, VA Merit Review #I01BX001643
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Solomon, Nancy G., and Joseph J. Jacquot. "Characteristics of resident and wandering prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster." Canadian Journal of Zoology 80, no. 5 (May 1, 2002): 951–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z02-053.
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Many studies have documented intraspecific differences in the behavior of males or females. In some species, many adults are territorial while others have larger home ranges encompassing multiple territories. Although these two types of behavior have been documented, they are not well understood in mammals. Therefore, in the mono gamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) we characterized individuals that engage in these two behavior patterns as residents and wanderers. We monitored populations enclosed in 0.1-ha. enclosures at Miami University's Ecology Research Center. As many as 26% of animals were wanderers: animals captured frequently, but less than 75% of the time, at one nest. As expected, wanderers had larger home ranges than residents. Wanderers were primarily adult males (70%) but included some adult females. This behavior pattern was not fixed, since some wanderers previously had been residents and at least 31% of males and 57% of adult female wanderers became residents during the same field season. Wanderers were not in worse physical condition, as estimated by body mass, and survived for slightly longer than residents. Thus, it does not appear that wanderers are making the best of a bad situation, but analysis of parentage is critical to validate this conclusion.
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Lichter, James B., Connor T. Lambert, Nancy G. Solomon, and Brian Keane. "Breeding patterns of female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) displaying alternative reproductive tactics." Journal of Mammalogy 101, no. 4 (June 16, 2020): 990–99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyaa058.
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Abstract Individuals of either sex may display alternative behaviors to obtain copulations, but few studies have examined the breeding patterns of females and males in populations where individuals of both sexes exhibit alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs). In prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), most adults are territorial, residing at a single nest site either as male–female pairs or as solitary individuals. However, some adults adopt nonterritorial, wandering tactics. During two field seasons monitoring prairie vole populations maintained in seminatural enclosures, we found evidence that females exhibiting different ARTs bred differentially with resident and wandering males. Females residing at a nest with a male bred significantly more often with a paired resident male, primarily their social partner, and significantly less often with male wanderers compared to single resident females or wandering females. These patterns were not due to chance, because paired resident females produced offspring with paired resident males significantly more than expected based on the relative abundance of these males in the population, whereas single resident females produced offspring with male wanderers significantly more than expected based on the proportion of male wanderers in the population. We did not find any evidence that multiple paternity was greater in the litters of single resident females and wanderer females even though these females lacked a male social partner to limit mating access by multiple males. This suggests that mate guarding by a female’s male social partner was not the primary determinant of multiple paternity in the litters of females exhibiting different reproductive tactics. However, male ART did affect the likelihood of multiple paternity. Females that produced offspring with single resident or wanderer males had an increased likelihood of multiple paternity relative to females producing offspring with paired resident males. The results of this study show that female and male ARTs can affect breeding patterns.
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Kenkel, W. M., A. M. Perkeybile, J. R. Yee, H. Pournajafi-Nazarloo, T. S. Lillard, E. F. Ferguson, K. L. Wroblewski, C. F. Ferris, C. S. Carter, and J. J. Connelly. "Behavioral and epigenetic consequences of oxytocin treatment at birth." Science Advances 5, no. 5 (May 2019): eaav2244. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aav2244.
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Oxytocin is used in approximately half of all births in the United States during labor induction and/or augmentation. However, the effects of maternal oxytocin administration on offspring development have not been fully characterized. Here, we used the socially monogamous prairie vole to examine the hypothesis that oxytocin exposure at birth can have long-term developmental consequences. Maternally administered oxytocin increased methylation of the oxytocin receptor (Oxtr) in the fetal brain. As adults, oxytocin-exposed voles were more gregarious, with increased alloparental caregiving toward pups and increased close social contact with other adults. Cross-fostering indicated that these effects were the result of direct action on the offspring, rather than indirect effects via postnatal changes in maternal behavior. Male oxytocin-exposed offspring had increased oxytocin receptor density and expression in the brain as adults. These results show that long-term effects of perinatal oxytocin may be mediated by an epigenetic mechanism.
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Castro, A. E., L. J. Young, F. J. Camacho, R. G. Paredes, N. F. Diaz, and W. Portillo. "Effects of Mating and Social Exposure on Cell Proliferation in the Adult Male Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster)." Neural Plasticity 2020 (September 22, 2020): 1–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8869669.
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Microtus ochrogaster is a rodent with a monogamous reproductive strategy characterized by strong pair bond formation after 6 h of mating. Here, we determine whether mating-induced pair bonding increases cell proliferation in the subventricular zone (SVZ), rostral migratory stream (RMS), and dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus in male voles. Males were assigned to one of the four groups: (1) control: males were placed alone in a clean cage; (2) social exposure to a female (SE m/f): males that could see, hear, and smell a sexually receptive female but where physical contact was not possible, because the animals were separated by an acrylic screen with small holes; (3) social exposure to a male (SE m/m): same as group 2 but males were exposed to another male without physical contact; and (4) social cohabitation with mating (SCM): males that mated freely with a receptive female for 6 h. This procedure leads to pair bond formation. Groups 2 and 3 were controls for social interaction. Male prairie voles were injected with 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) during the behavioral tests and were sacrificed 48 h later. Brains were processed to identify the new cells (BrdU-positive) and neuron precursor cells (neuroblasts). Our principal findings are that in the dorsal region of the SVZ, SCM and SE m/f and m/m increase the percentage of neuron precursor cells. In the anterior region of the RMS, SE m/f decreases the percentage of neuron precursor cells, and in the medial region SE m/f and m/m decrease the number of new cells and neuron precursor cells. In the infrapyramidal blade of the subgranular zone of the DG, SE m/m and SCM increase the number of new neuron precursor cells and SE m/m increases the percentage of these neurons. Our data suggests that social interaction, as well as sexual stimulation, leads to pair bonding in male voles modulating cell proliferation and differentiation to neuronal precursor cells at the SVZ, RMS, and DG.
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Hume, I. D., W. H. Karasov, and B. W. Darken. "Acetate, butyrate and proline uptake in the caecum and colon of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)." Journal of Experimental Biology 176, no. 1 (March 1, 1993): 285–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.176.1.285.
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We have measured unidirectional uptake (not transmural flux) of acetate, butyrate and proline by everted sleeves of intact tissue from the jejunum, caecum, proximal colon and distal colon of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). There was active (i.e. Na(+)-dependent) transport of L-proline in the jejunum, but we found no evidence for it in any region of the hindgut (i.e. the caecum, proximal colon and distal colon). Uptake of acetate was carrier-mediated in all three regions of the hindgut, but the Jmax and apparent Km (< or = 1.5 mmol l-1) were low, and uptake was primarily passive over the concentration range 10–50 mmol l-1, which spanned measured acetate levels in the caecum and proximal colon. At 100 mmol l-1, acetate uptake (nmol min-1 cm-2) was higher (P < 0.001) in distal colon (359 +/− 33) than in the proximal colon (225 +/− 17) and caecum (150 +/− 5) (mean +/− S.E., N = 8). Uptakes summed over the length of each region were also higher (P < 0.001) in the distal colon at 100 mmol l-1, but not at low concentrations (0.1 mmol l-1). Uptakes normalized to diffusion coefficients were higher for butyrate than acetate and were lowest for L-glucose (which is absorbed passively via an aqueous pathway) in all regions, indicating that uptake of the short-chain fatty acids involves solubilization in the lipid bilayer of the apical membrane. The short-chain fatty acids absorbed from the hindgut of the vole were equivalent to 22% of standard metabolic rate or 15% of resting (but fed) metabolic rate.
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Getz, Lowell L., and Betty McGuire. "Communal nesting in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster): formation, composition, and persistence of communal groups." Canadian Journal of Zoology 75, no. 4 (April 1, 1997): 525–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z97-065.
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We describe factors related to the formation, composition, and persistence of communal groups in the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster). Communal groups formed by the addition of philopatric offspring and unrelated adults to male – female pair and single-female breeding units. Although unrelated adults did not join a group until at least two philopatric offspring 30 days of age were present, there was no relationship between the presence of reproductively active philopatric offspring of the opposite sex and joining of unrelated adults. Most adults that joined a group were reproductive when they joined. Reproductive activation of philopatric offspring was not related to the joining of unrelated adults. During the breeding period all communal groups included 1 or more reproductive adults of each sex; in at least 75% of the groups, 2 or more adults of each sex were reproductive. There was no relationship between low temperature, snow cover, or population density and formation of communal groups. Dissolution of communal groups was not related to reproductive activation of residents.
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Roberts, R. Lucille, Amanda K. Miller, Susan E. Taymans, and C. Sue Carter. "Role of social and endocrine factors in alloparental behavior of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 76, no. 10 (October 1, 1998): 1862–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z98-156.
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Young, sexually naive prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), 21-60 days of age, of both sexes readily exhibit alloparental behavior toward pups without apparent hormonal or experiential priming. The goal of the present study was to quantify the incidence of spontaneously evoked alloparental behavior in young prairie voles and determine prior pup experience (i), gender-related (ii) and age-related (iii) characteristics, and hormonal (iv) and housing (v) conditions associated with alloparental behavior. Overall, 70% of all prairie voles between 21 and 60 days of age exhibited alloparental behavior regardless of hormonal condition or postweaning housing condition (single versus sib-group housing). Experience with pups prior to weaning was associated with a greater percentage of prairie voles exhibiting alloparental responding in comparison with prairie voles that had never been exposed to pups. Male prairie voles were more likely to be alloparental than were females, although most females (64%) exhibited alloparental behavior. Differences in qualitative variables associated with alloparental responsiveness were present between prairie voles <40 days of age and those >=40 days of age, although both age groups responded parentally in equal numbers. This study suggests that although a short period of prior experience may promote the expression of alloparental behavior in young prairie voles, alloparental behavior occurs in most animals in all groups examined. Hormonal, sex-related or age-related changes that might be associated with development, reproductive suppression, or social stress are not related to the differential expression of alloparental behavior.
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Ferkin, Michael H., Frederick H. Ferkin, and Milo Richmond. "Sources of scent used by prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster, to convey sexual identity to conspecifics." Canadian Journal of Zoology 72, no. 12 (December 1, 1994): 2205–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z94-295.
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The presence or absence of specific odor-producing tissues has been used to suggest phylogenetic relationships among microtine rodents, but has not been related to patterns of social organization. We examined the sources of sex-specific scents in prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster, using a preference task. Prairie voles have eight sources of sex-specific scents. Four scents, namely those from the urine, feces, anogenital area, and mouth were more attractive to opposite- than same-sex conspecifics. Three scents were attractive to one sex but not the other. Scent from the back of females was attractive to males and scents from the chest and head–neck–ears of males were attractive to females. Scent from the male posterolateral region was attractive to both females and males. We then compared these eight sources of scent with the known sources of scent from meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, a species whose social system is unlike that of prairie voles. Prairie voles have more sources of sex-specific scent than meadow voles. This difference supports the hypothesis that the number of sources of sex-specific scent is greater in a social species (prairie voles) than in an asocial species (meadow voles).
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Klein, S. L., S. E. Taymans, A. C. DeVries, and R. J. Nelson. "Cellular immunity is not compromised by high serum corticosterone concentrations in prairie voles." American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 271, no. 6 (December 1, 1996): R1608—R1613. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.1996.271.6.r1608.
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Glucocorticoids compromise immune function in glucocorticoid-sensitive species (e.g., mice), but these immunosuppressive effects may be reduced in glucocorticoid-resistant species. Prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) have been characterized as glucocorticoid-resistant to their high circulating levels of corticosterone. Because glucocorticoid-sensitive species display suppressed lymphocyte proliferation in response to elevated blood glucocorticoid levels, proliferative values were hypothesized to be reduced in house mice (Mus musculus) compared with prairie voles. Prairie voles exhibited significantly higher splenocyte proliferative responses to the T cell mitogen, Concanavalin A, despite having higher basal total and free serum corticosterone levels than mice. Neither total nor free serum corticosterone correlated with proliferative responses from either species. These data provide further evidence for glucocorticoid resistance in prairie voles and suggest that the interactions between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the immune system in prairie voles may differ from those in mice or other glucocorticoid-sensitive species. Therefore, prairie voles may serve as a valuable animal model for the syndrome of glucocorticoid resistance in humans and the role of glucocorticoids in conditions characterized by a hyperactive immune system.
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Klein, Sabra L., and Randy J. Nelson. "Sex and species differences in cell-mediated immune responses in voles." Canadian Journal of Zoology 76, no. 7 (July 1, 1998): 1394–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z98-071.
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Males generally display reduced immune responses and greater susceptibility to disease than females, possibly reflecting the suppressive effects of androgens on the immune system. It is presumed that this androgenic effect on immune function is more pronounced among polygynous than monogamous species because concentrations of circulating androgens are generally higher among polygynous than monogamous males. The present study examined sex and species differences in cell-mediated immunity of two Microtus species. Cell-mediated immunity was assessed among individually housed polygynous meadow voles (M. pennsylvanicus) and monogamous prairie voles (M. ochrogaster) by examining the proliferative responses of splenocytes to the T-cell mitogen concanavalin A (Con A) and the B-cell mitogen lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Neither sex nor species differences were observed in response to stimulation with Con A. In contrast, meadow voles exhibited higher proliferative responses to LPS than prairie voles. Sex differences in immune function were only observed among prairie voles; males exhibited higher proliferative responses to LPS than females. Male meadow voles had higher circulating testosterone concentrations than male prairie voles and female prairie voles had higher estradiol concentrations than female meadow voles. Males of both Microtus species weighed more than conspecific females. The immunological differences were not related to differences in either body mass or hormone concentrations. Overall, these data do not support the hypothesis that higher androgen concentrations in polygynous males influence sex or species differences in immune function.
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DeVries, A. Courtney, and C. Sue Carter. "Sex differences in temporal parameters of partner preference in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 77, no. 6 (October 10, 1999): 885–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z99-054.
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Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are monogamous rodents in which both sexes form social preferences for a familiar partner. This species exhibits many of the characteristics of monogamy, including long-term social bonds, mate guarding, and biparental care. Although the behaviors associated with the development of partner preferences are superficially similar in males and females, the present study documents sex differences in the temporal parameters of partner preferences in prairie voles. Following nonsexual cohabitation, female prairie voles formed partner preferences more quickly and these preferences lasted longer than in males. These data indicate that sex differences exist in the development and maintenance of social preferences and may reflect differences in the reproductive strategies of male and female prairie voles.
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Walcott, Andre T., and Andrey E. Ryabinin. "Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Pair Bond Maintenance and Potential Neural Substrates in Female Prairie Voles." Alcohol and Alcoholism 54, no. 4 (May 7, 2019): 353–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agz041.
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Abstract Aims Discordant heavy alcohol use is a risk factor for disruption of intimate partner relationships. Modeling these relationships in prairie voles indicates that biological effects of alcohol can contribute to this risk. In particular, alcohol consumption disrupted an established preference for a female partner in male prairie voles if the partner was drinking water, but not if the partner was drinking alcohol. The current study investigated the effects of alcohol consumption on pair bonds in female prairie voles. Methods Female and male prairie voles established pair bonds during 1 week of cohabitation. Following cohabitation, females and their partners were put into mesh-divided cages where they were given access to 10% ethanol and water or only water for 1 week. Pair bonds in female prairie voles were tested using the partner preference test (PPT). Following the PPT, we examined oxytocin, vasopressin and FosB immunoreactivity across several brain regions. Results Female prairie voles consumed more alcohol if their male partner was also drinking alcohol, but not if their partner was drinking water. During PPT, females preferred their partner over a stranger, regardless of their partner’s drinking status. Alcohol consumption decreased oxytocin immunoreactivity in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and increased FosB immunoreactivity in the centrally projecting Edinger–Westphal nucleus. Conclusions Established partner preference in female prairie voles is resistant to alcohol consumption. This finding suggests that the risk for disruption of intimate partner relationships in females is not mediated by a decreased motivation to be with their partners.
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Lin, Yu-teh K., and George O. Batzli. "The effect of interspecific competition on habitat selection by voles: an experimental approach." Canadian Journal of Zoology 79, no. 1 (January 1, 2001): 110–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z00-184.
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Both meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) and prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) prefer habitats with high vegetative cover, but in east-central Illinois, meadow voles tend to be associated with higher cover and prairie voles with lower cover. The competition hypothesis proposes that this pattern of habitat segregation reflects the effects of interspecific competition on habitat selection. To test this hypothesis we conducted field experiments that allowed the two species to select from among several habitats when alone and when together. We expected to find a lower proportion of each species in the habitat most associated with the other species, and a negative correlation between the demography and density of each species and the density of the competing species, but this was not the case. Inter specific competition did affect movement patterns of prairie voles. In the presence of meadow voles, net movement (immigration minus emigration) of prairie voles in high-cover habitats decreased and net dispersal of individuals from high- to low-cover habitats increased. Thus, our results indicated only a weak effect of competition on habitat selection. We suggest that other mechanisms, such as differences in habitat preference (or tolerance), differences in dispersal ability, and the advantage of first residency, need to be considered in conjunction with interspecific competition to explain the habitat segregation observed in these species.
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Miño C., Guillermo Paz y., and Zuleyma Tang-Martínez. "Social interactions, cross-fostering, and sibling recognition in prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster." Canadian Journal of Zoology 77, no. 10 (December 1, 1999): 1631–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z99-109.
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Sibling recognition in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) has been traditionally inferred from incest avoidance or lack of reproduction among littermates. Researchers have concluded that when sibling prairie voles are isolated from one another there is a breakdown of incest avoidance (and therefore of sibling recognition). In a reevaluation of these studies, using social interactions rather than incest avoidance, we found that the breakdown of incest avoidance was not equivalent to a breakdown of sibling recognition. We explored the effects of cross-fostering on sibling recognition by looking at changes in amicable or agonistic behaviors that were then used to infer sibling recognition. Prairie voles that were cross-fostered with nonsiblings were not able to recognize their own siblings when reunited and tested for social interactions in adulthood. Siblings reared apart treated their own siblings as if they were not closely related and nonsiblings reared together treated nonsiblings as if they were their own siblings. The mechanism of sibling recognition in prairie voles is association or familiarity. The ability to recognize siblings may be limited to individuals that are raised together. Sibling recognition in prairie voles may be a by-product of familiarity in early life and not a mechanism restricted to genetic relatedness as predicted by kin-selection theory.
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Stokes, Michael K., Norman A. Slade, and Susan M. Blair. "Influences of weather and moonlight on activity patterns of small mammals: a biogeographical perspective." Canadian Journal of Zoology 79, no. 6 (June 1, 2001): 966–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z01-059.
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We analyzed 15 years of trapping data on prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) and cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) to elucidate behavioural responses to weather by season and time of day. Use of such a long-term data set is rare and ameliorates many of the problems with short-term data sets typically used for such analysis. The trapping was conducted in the east-central part of Kansas (U.S.A.), near the southern edge of the distribution of prairie voles and the northern edge of the distribution of cotton rats. These distributions provide the framework for differing hypotheses as to responsiveness of individuals of the two species to weather phenomena as indicated by the probability of capture. Probability of capture was statistically significantly affected by weather, most frequently by precipitation and temperature. Effects varied with season and between species, and were generally consistent with hypotheses based on the northern (boreal and temperate) history of prairie voles and southern (subtropical and temperate) history of cotton rats and with predation-avoidance hypotheses. Variation in the probabilities of capture of cotton rats was more associated with weather, especially in the colder seasons, than was variation in the probabilities of capture of prairie voles. In summer, capture rates of prairie voles were more susceptible to weather than were those of cotton rats.
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Salo, Allen L., Lawrence E. Shapiro, and Donald A. Dewsbury. "Affiliative Behavior in Different Species of Voles (Microtus)." Psychological Reports 72, no. 1 (February 1993): 316–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1993.72.1.316.
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Data were collected on the huddling behavior of pine voles, Microtus pinetorum, and meadow voles, M. pennsylvanicus, to supplement earlier data on prairie voles and montane voles. Species that are social/monogamous in the field tended to huddle more in the laboratory. Contact proneness may be one factor driving different mating systems in the field.
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Klein, Sabra L., H. Ray Gamble, and Randy J. Nelson. "Role of steroid hormones in Trichinella spiralis infection among voles." American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 277, no. 5 (November 1, 1999): R1362—R1367. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.1999.277.5.r1362.
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Males are generally more susceptible to parasite infection than females. This sex difference may reflect the suppressive effects of testosterone and enhancing effects of estradiol on immune function. This study characterized the role of circulating steroid hormones in sex differences after infection with the nematode Trichinella spiralis. Because testosterone suppresses immune function and because polygynous males have higher circulating testosterone concentrations than monogamous males, sex differences in parasite burden were hypothesized to be exaggerated among polygynous meadow voles compared with monogamous prairie voles. As predicted, sex differences in response to T. spiralis infection were increased among meadow voles; males had higher worm numbers than females. Male and female prairie voles had equivalent parasite burden. Overall, prairie voles had higher worm numbers than meadow voles. Contrary to our initial prediction, differences in circulating estradiol concentrations in females, testosterone concentrations in males, and corticosterone concentrations in both sexes were not related to the observed variation in T. spiralisinfection. Taken together, these data suggest that not all sex differences in parasite infection are mediated by circulating steroid hormones and that adaptive-functional explanations may provide new insight into the causes of variation in parasite infection.
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McGuire, Betty, Henry Heller, and Melinda Novak. "Milk composition and volume in meadow voles and prairie voles." Acta Theriologica 33 (December 9, 1988): 537–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.4098/at.arch.88-44.
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Demas, Gregory E., Joseph M. Williams, and Randy J. Nelson. "Amygdala but not hippocampal lesions impair olfactory memory for mate in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)." American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 273, no. 5 (November 1, 1997): R1683—R1689. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.1997.273.5.r1683.
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Exposure to an unfamiliar male conspecific results in pregnancy interruption (i.e., the Bruce effect) in rodents. Unlike most laboratory rodents, female prairie voles ( Microtus ochrogaster) are induced into estrus by chemosensory stimuli contained in the urine of male conspecifics while grooming the anogenital (A-G) region of unfamiliar males. Female prairie voles maintain a brief “memory” for the stud male for 8–10 days after mating. Subsequent exposure to the same mate within this 8- to 10-day window does not elicit A-G investigation by the female and pregnancy block does not result. However, exposure to the original male after 10 days evokes A-G investigation and pregnancy block. To determine the neuroanatomic area(s) involved in olfactory memory for mate, female voles received bilateral electrolytic lesions of either the amygdala or hippocampus. Females were subsequently exposed to males for 48 h, separated for 3 days, then reintroduced to their original mate for 24 h. Although pregnancy rate did not differ among the experimental groups, a greater proportion of amygdala-lesioned females displayed pregnancy block when reexposed to their previous mates compared with hippocampal- or sham-lesioned voles. Amygdala-lesioned voles also displayed a greater number of A-G investigations compared with the other groups. Performance on olfactory tests was not impaired. Taken together, these results suggest that the amygdala plays an important role in olfactory memory for mate in prairie voles.
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Durham, William F., and Michael G. Tannenbaum. "Effects of endophyte consumption on food intake, growth, and reproduction in prairie voles." Canadian Journal of Zoology 76, no. 5 (May 1, 1998): 960–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z98-021.
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Grasses infected with fungal endophytes are known to deter herbivores. Athough ingestion of infected plant tissues has detrimental effects on insects, birds, domestic livestock, and laboratory rodents, little is known about the consequences of endophyte consumption for wild rodent consumers. This multigenerational study investigated how consumption of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) seeds infected with the endophytic fungus Acremonium coenophialum affects prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Breeding pairs were fed one of three base diets: laboratory rodent chow (C; control diet), 50% uninfected tall fescue seeds plus 50% chow (E-), or 50% endophyte-infected seeds plus 50% chow (E+). In the first generation, the E+ diet suppressed food and water intake, growth rates, and reproductive success, so no voles fed on the E+ diet could be followed in the second generation. In general, voles of the two generations performed similarly on the C and E- diets. Our findings show that prairie voles are sensitive to the presence of endophytes, or associated alkaloids, in their diets, and suggest that free-ranging voles avoid consuming endophyte-infected plant tissues if other foods are available.
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Shorb, Cameron M., Laur A. Freymiller, and Daniel L. Hernandez. "Differential responses of prairie rodents to edge effects from recreational trails." Nature Conservation 41 (September 10, 2020): 113–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.41.52100.
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Edge effects are a common phenomenon in which an ecological variable changes with respect to distance from a habitat edge. Recreational trails may constitute a habitat edge for prairie rodents because of high human presence, high predator presence, or limited shelter compared to the prairie core. Despite the prevalence of trails in conservation parcels, their effect on wildlife distribution remains largely unstudied. We examined the impacts of recreational trails on small mammal activity in the restored prairies of the Cowling Arboretum at Carleton College. The prairies were restored from 1995 to 2008 and now comprise a contiguous prairie block of approximately 155 ha. Over 2 consecutive summers, we used infrared motion-sensing cameras to record the relative amount of time rodents spend at baited stations placed at different distances from the trail. The results varied between taxa: voles (Microtus spp.) avoided trail edges whereas mouse (Cricetidae and Dipodidae) and thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) activity was unaffected by trail proximity. Trails may therefore have species-specific effects on small mammals, with potential consequences for the connectivity and distribution of populations.
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Paz y Miño C., Guillermo, and Zuleyma Tang-Martínez. "Effects of exposures to siblings or sibling odors on sibling recognition in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 77, no. 1 (July 1, 1999): 118–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z98-190.
Full textAbstract:
Determining the mechanisms of sibling recognition is important for understanding social behavior and the basic parameters of population dynamics (cycles) in microtine rodents. Previous studies have shown that, after relatively short periods of isolation, prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) no longer recognize their siblings. In this study we tested the hypothesis that brief encounters of prairie voles with siblings or sibling odors during a period of isolation can maintain social memory and the ability of animals to recognize their siblings over time. Six-week-old voles of both sexes that were isolated for 21 days and exposed (on days 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 of this 21-day isolation period) to brief encounters (30 min for each encounter) with their siblings continued to recognize their siblings when tested for social interactions at 42 days of age. Only females exposed to odors of same-sex siblings during the period of isolation continued to recognize their sisters. Males exposed to odors of same-sex siblings did not recognize their brothers when tested for social interactions at 42 days of age. These results demonstrate that after dispersal prairie voles need occasional encounters with their siblings, or their siblings' odors (at least in females), to reinforce social memory and the ability to recognize kin over prolonged periods of time. This study is the first to provide empirical evidence that helps us understand the mechanism by which sibling prairie voles, which are philopatric or often settle in home ranges close to one another, almost never form breeding pairs.
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Kriegsfeld, L. J., and R. J. Nelson. "Gonadal and photoperiodic influences on body mass regulation in adult male and female prairie voles." American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 270, no. 5 (May 1, 1996): R1013—R1018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.1996.270.5.r1013.
Full textAbstract:
Nontropical animals commonly use the annual change in photoperiod to phase seasonal adjustments that promote survival and reproduction. To cope with the energetic requirements of winter, many rodents alter body mass in anticipation of winter. Photoperiodic adjustments are often mediated by the pineal hormone melatonin; melatonin can exert a primary effect on body mass or secondarily affect body mass by changing blood gonadal steroid levels. The present study sought to determine if prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) alter body mass in response to short photoperiods. The role of the gonads in body mass regulation was also assessed. In experiment 1, males housed in short days increased body mass at a greater rate than long-day animals. Gonadectomy enhanced the body mass gain in short-day voles. These data suggest that the gonads contribute to short photoperiod-induced changes in body mass in male voles. In experiment 2, females housed in short days increased body mass at a greater rate than long-day animals, regardless of whether the animals were ovariectomized. Ovariectomy did not affect body mass in either long- or short-day animals, suggesting that the ovaries do not contribute to photoperiod-mediated changes in body mass in female prairie voles. Taken together, these studies suggest that male and female prairie voles use photoperiodic information to time seasonal changes in body mass.
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Cushing, Bruce S., and J. Michelle Cawthorn. "Species differences in activity patterns during oestrus." Canadian Journal of Zoology 74, no. 3 (March 1, 1996): 473–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z96-055.
Full textAbstract:
The onset of oestrus in females has been associated with an increase in locomotor activity; however, we predicted that there would be species in which the females would not increase their activity during oestrus. We tested this in the laboratory, using running wheels, with white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) and California mice (Peromyscus californicus), which were predicted to increase activity, and hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus), which were predicted to show no change in activity level. The results supported our predictions, as cotton rats showed no change, while both Peromyscus species increased activity during oestrus. Based upon laboratory activity patterns we conducted a field study to examine the relative levels of activity of two species, white-footed mice and prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). We predicted that significantly more white-footed mice than prairie voles would be caught during oestrus. Before trapping we generated a model to predict the probability of capturing oestrous females. Live-trapping results supported our prediction, as significantly more oestrous female white-footed mice were captured than prairie voles (48.8 vs. 7.5%), and capture of oestrous white-footed mice deviated significantly from the model's prediction. The capture of oestrous prairie voles fit within the lower limits of the model's predictions. The results are discussed in terms of mating strategies, how oestrus is achieved, and predation risk.
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Gaines, M. S., C. L. Fugate, M. L. Johnson, D. C. Johnson, J. R. Hisey, and D. M. Quadagno. "Manipulation of aggressive behavior in male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) implanted with testosterone in Silastic tubing." Canadian Journal of Zoology 63, no. 11 (November 1, 1985): 2525–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z85-374.
Full textAbstract:
Subadult male prairie voles were implanted with testosterone in Silastic tubing in an attempt to manipulate aggressive behavior. The implanted voles exhibited a higher level of aggression than either controls or shams in pairwise encounters in a neutral arena. Release rates of testosterone from Silastic tubing were measured in castrated males by radioimmunoassay. Serum testosterone titer of each group of castrated males implanted with three different sized capsules rose to a maximum on the 4th day after implantation and declined to a minimum thereafter. Group mean titers declined in the order of their capsule sizes. It was concluded that implants of testosterone in Silastic tubing are an effective method of increasing aggressiveness in male prairie voles. The possible mode of action of testosterone mediated aggression is discussed.
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Yamoah, D., K. Williams-Baginski, and M. Bamshad. "Changes in response to odors during the reproductive period in male and female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 86, no. 3 (March 2008): 224–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z07-133.
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In prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster (Wagner, 1842), the onset of parental caring differs by sex and reproductive condition. Maternal caring is displayed abruptly at parturition, whereas paternal caring intensifies gradually during the reproductive period. To determine if changes in odor responsiveness contribute to sex differences in onset of parental behavior, voles were given a choice to investigate various odors at different times during the reproductive cycle. Subjects were either sexually naïve or mated. Mated pairs cohabited until mid-gestation, late gestation, or 3 days postpartum. Voles crossed a tunnel to explore a row of three filter papers covered with infant odor, orange extract, or saline. Males and females exhibited different odor preferences. Males preferred infant odor to saline and orange extract, whereas females preferred infant odor and saline to orange extract. Mating changed the odor investigative behaviors in both males and females. Some voles vigorously manipulated odor-covered papers. The number of females manipulating the papers increased abruptly at late gestation. The number of males manipulating the papers was particularly high at mid-gestation and after the birth of young. Results suggest that mating and cohabitation in prairie voles influences odor responses in a sex-specific manner.
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Harper, Steven J., and George O. Batzli. "Are staged dyadic encounters useful for studying aggressive behaviour of arvicoline rodents?" Canadian Journal of Zoology 75, no. 7 (July 1, 1997): 1051–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z97-126.
Full textAbstract:
We investigated the aggressiveness of adult prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) in dyadic encounters staged in different types of arena trials to determine if responses differed (i) between neutral arena trials conducted in the laboratory and resident–intruder trials conducted in the field, (ii) between trials staged before and after 3 months of isolation from social contact, (iii) between voles reared in the laboratory and voles reared in the field, and (iv) among trials staged with the same individual over time. Though rodents are usually expected to be more aggressive on their own home range, female prairie voles tended to be more aggressive in neutral arenas. Males showed no difference in aggression between trials held in neutral arenas and trials held in arenas placed in their home ranges. Aggressiveness was not affected by 3 months of isolation for either males or females, suggesting that recent social cues may not strongly influence aggressive behaviour in this species. Voles reared in the laboratory were significantly more aggressive than those reared in enclosed field populations, which suggests that direct comparisons of field and laboratory studies of aggressive behaviour may be suspect. Individuals showed little change in aggressiveness when tested over several weeks in three trials with different opponents. We conclude that encounters staged in arenas provide standardized estimates of aggressiveness that are robust to differences in testing procedures and are repeatable over time. Therefore, their continued use seems warranted for studying aggressive behaviour of voles and lemmings.
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Keane, B., L. Bryant, U. Goyal, S. Williams, S. L. Kortering, K. E. Lucia, A. R. Richmond, and N. G. Solomon. "No effect of body condition at weaning on survival and reproduction in prairie voles." Canadian Journal of Zoology 85, no. 6 (June 2007): 718–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z07-054.
Full textAbstract:
The physiological state of an animal may have a significant impact on its reproductive success because individuals in good body condition are generally considered to be competitively superior to individuals in poor body condition. In this study, we tested if body condition at weaning affected survival and reproduction of prairie voles ( Microtus ochrogaster (Wagner, 1842)) living under ecologically relevant conditions at two different initial population densities. We detected no evidence that better body condition at weaning was associated with either enhanced survival or reproduction. Moreover, genetic analysis of parentage found that mating between males and females was random with respect to body condition. Results of this study indicate body condition at weaning was not a reliable predictor of future survival or reproduction in prairie voles. This may be because body condition at weaning does not accurately forecast the energetic state of prairie voles at later ages, or because other factors have a greater effect on an individual’s survival and reproductive success at the densities observed in this study.
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Solomon, Nancy G., Brian Keane, Lana R. Knoch, and Paula J. Hogan. "Multiple paternity in socially monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 82, no. 10 (October 1, 2004): 1667–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z04-142.
Full textAbstract:
Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster (Wagner, 1842)) exhibit behavioral, morphological, and neuroendocrinological traits associated with monogamy and are considered a model system to examine the biological foundations of monogamy in mammals. We examined allelic polymorphism at microsatellite loci to assess mating exclusivity in wild prairie voles sampled in east-central Illinois and found evidence of multiple paternity in five of nine litters (56%) analyzed. Thus, a female in this socially monogamous mammal with extensive mechanisms for pair bonding does not always mate solely with its partner and raises the paradox of why some pair-bonded females mate multiply.
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Pierce, John D., Bruce Ferguson, and Donald A. Dewsbury. "Conspecific preferences in prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster, and meadow voles, M. pennsylvanicus." Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society 27, no. 3 (March 1989): 267–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/bf03334603.
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