Species differences in urine scent-marking and counter-marking in Peromyscus. 2018

Elizabeth A Becker, and Frank R Castelli, and Christine N Yohn, and Lindsey Spencer, and Catherine A Marler
Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States; Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University 5600 City Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19131, United States. Electronic address: ebecker@sju.edu.

Species comparisons indicate that scent-marking may differ as a function of mating system and co-housing with the opposite sex ("pairing"). We previously demonstrated that pairing may decrease male solicitation to unfamiliar females in the monogamous Peromyscus californicus but not in the non-monogamous P. leucopus. Whether urine scent-marking of females changes following pairing and whether scent-marking of paired males varies in response to scent-marks of their cagemate versus those of an unfamiliar female has not been examined. Therefore, we tested P. californicus and P. leucopus for within and between species differences in urine scent-marking of: 1) paired and non-paired females in an unscented arena, and 2) paired males in response to their female cagemate's or an unfamiliar female's scent-marks (counter-marking). Consistent with previous findings, P. californicus of both sexes deposited more urine scent-marks and covered greater surface area than P. leucopus. In both species, female scent-marking did not differ according to pairing status and male counter-marking did not differ in response to the scent-marks of their female cagemate versus an unfamiliar female. More females of both species and more P. leucopus, but not P. californicus, males scent-marked more around the perimeter than centrally. Potential explanations for these findings are discussed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D010152 Pair Bond In animals, the social relationship established between a male and female for reproduction. It may include raising of young. Bond, Pair,Bonds, Pair,Pair Bonds
D010542 Peromyscus A genus of the subfamily SIGMODONTINAE consisting of 49 species. Two of these are widely used in medical research. They are P. leucopus, or the white-footed mouse, and P. maniculatus, or the deer mouse. Mice, Deer,Mice, White-Footed,Mouse, Deer,Mouse, White-Footed,Deer Mice,Deer Mouse,Mice, White Footed,Mouse, White Footed,White-Footed Mice,White-Footed Mouse
D010675 Pheromones Chemical substances, excreted by an organism into the environment, that elicit behavioral or physiological responses from other organisms of the same species. Perception of these chemical signals may be olfactory or by contact. Allelochemical,Allelochemicals,Allomone,Allomones,Ectohormones,Kairomone,Kairomones,Pheromone,Semiochemical,Semiochemicals,Synomones
D005260 Female Females
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
D001522 Behavior, Animal The observable response an animal makes to any situation. Autotomy Animal,Animal Behavior,Animal Behaviors
D013045 Species Specificity The restriction of a characteristic behavior, anatomical structure or physical system, such as immune response; metabolic response, or gene or gene variant to the members of one species. It refers to that property which differentiates one species from another but it is also used for phylogenetic levels higher or lower than the species. Species Specificities,Specificities, Species,Specificity, Species
D014556 Urine Liquid by-product of excretion produced in the kidneys, temporarily stored in the bladder until discharge through the URETHRA.

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