| Title: | Stimuli for male mouse (Mus musculus) ultrasonic courtship vocalizations: presence of female chemosignals and/or absence of male chemosignals |
| Author(s): | Nyby J; Wysocki CJ; Whitney G; Dizinno G; Schneider J; Nunez AA; |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0021-9940 (Print) 0021-9940 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "In research on animal chemocommunication, biological odors are sometimes presented by being applied to a 'neutral' animal (e.g., castrated or ovariectomized conspecific). This technique is typically utilized when the behavioral response to the odor requires the presence of a conspecific. In five experiments, mice (Mus musculus) that might be expected to be neutral stimuli were examined for their abilities to elicit ultrasonic courtship vocalizations from male mice. Paradoxically, adult castrated males, adult males that were neonatally castrated, hypophysectomized males, prepubertal females, and hypophysectomized females all elicited more vocalizations than would have been predicted from previous research in which their urine alone was used as the stimulus. These and previous results are consistent with courtship vocalizations being promoted by chemosignals from females and/or by an absence of cues from males. Thus a truly neutral conspecific for presenting female sex odors may not exist in mice" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Castration Male Mice Mice, Inbred Strains Pheromones/*urine Sex Attractants/*urine Sexual Behavior, Animal/*physiology Ultrasonics Vocalization, Animal/*physiology;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineNyby, J Wysocki, C J Whitney, G Dizinno, G Schneider, J Nunez, A A eng MH 11218/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ NS0559/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/ Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 1981/08/01 J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1981 Aug; 95(4):623-9. doi: 10.1037/h0077794" |
