Biomaterial Database

Responses of infant mice to odors of urine from infanticidal, noninfanticidal, and paternal male mice. 1990

R W Elwood, and H F Kennedy, and H M Blakely

Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biology and Biochemistry, Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Infant mice responded differently to the odors of urine from isolated-infanticidal, isolated-noninfanticidal, and parental males. More ultrasonic vocalizations were produced in response to urine odors of parental males than to those of isolated-infanticidal males and more to infanticidal than to noninfanticidal males. Infants became agitated in the presence of urine odors of infanticidal males and moved away from the odor source whereas they tended to remain stationary in response to urine odors of parental males. The response to urine odors of noninfanticidal males was intermediate. These data support the hypothesis that infanticidal and parental states have different physiological bases and that this physiological difference results in different chemical composition of urine. The data failed to support the hypothesis that infants will attempt to conceal themselves from infanticidal males by remaining quiet.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008815	Mice, Inbred Strains	Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations, or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. All animals within an inbred strain trace back to a common ancestor in the twentieth generation.	Inbred Mouse Strains,Inbred Strain of Mice,Inbred Strain of Mouse,Inbred Strains of Mice,Mouse, Inbred Strain,Inbred Mouse Strain,Mouse Inbred Strain,Mouse Inbred Strains,Mouse Strain, Inbred,Mouse Strains, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Mouse,Strains, Inbred Mouse
D010332	Paternal Behavior	The behavior patterns associated with or characteristic of a father.	Behavior, Paternal,Behaviors, Paternal,Paternal Behaviors
D002190	Cannibalism	Eating other individuals of one's own species.	Cannibalisms
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000831	Animals, Newborn	Refers to animals in the period of time just after birth.	Animals, Neonatal,Animal, Neonatal,Animal, Newborn,Neonatal Animal,Neonatal Animals,Newborn Animal,Newborn Animals
D001143	Arousal	Cortical vigilance or readiness of tone, presumed to be in response to sensory stimulation via the reticular activating system.	Vigilance, Cortical,Arousals,Cortical Vigilance
D012903	Smell	The ability to detect scents or odors, such as the function of OLFACTORY RECEPTOR NEURONS.	Olfaction,Sense of Smell,Smell Sense
D012931	Social Environment	The aggregate of social and cultural institutions, forms, patterns, and processes that influence the life of an individual or community.	Social Context,Environment, Social,Social Ecology,Context, Social,Contexts, Social,Ecologies, Social,Ecology, Social,Environments, Social,Social Contexts,Social Ecologies,Social Environments
D012934	Social Isolation	The separation of individuals or groups resulting in the lack of or minimizing of social contact and/or communication. This separation may be accomplished by physical separation, by social barriers and by psychological mechanisms. In the latter, there may be interaction but no real communication.	Isolation, Social,Social Exclusion,Exclusion, Social,Social Exclusions
D014556	Urine	Liquid by-product of excretion produced in the kidneys, temporarily stored in the bladder until discharge through the URETHRA.