Effects of artificial eggs on prolactin secretion, steroid levels, brood patch development, incubation onset and clutch size in the yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes)
Several studies have shown that the transition from egg laying to incubation behavior in birds is associated with changes in plasma levels of prolactin and steroid hormones. However, any effect of the tactile and visual input provided by eggs at initiating these hormonal changes has not been fully investigated in wild birds. A few days […]
Behavioral changes associated with introductions of male maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) to females with pups
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1999)18:33.3.CO;2-V Three male maned wolves were successfully introduced to their mates and 7- to 12-week-old pups at the Houston Zoological Gardens and Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in 1994 and 1995. The introductions took 3–7 weeks and had three stages: 1) allowing the male to see the female and pups through a chain-link panel or […]
Testosterone inhibits facilitating effects of parenting experience on parental behavior and the oxytocin neural system in mice
Abstract Parental behavior in mammals is facilitated by sensory experiences from infant, and by endocrine hormones. However, the interactions between these factors in the parental behavior of nonreproductive adults are not understood. We examined the interactive effects of gonadal hormones and the experience of repeated pup exposure on parental behavior in sexually naive mice. We […]
Does prolactin mediate parental and life-history decisions in response to environmental conditions in birds? A review
This article is part of a Special Issue “Parental Care”. In vertebrates, adjustments of physiology and behavior to environmental changes are often mediated by central physiological mechanisms, and more specifically by hormonal mechanisms. As a consequence, these mechanisms are thought to orchestrate life-history decisions in wild vertebrates. For instance, investigating the hormonal regulation of parental […]
Are age and sex differences in brain oxytocin receptors related to maternal and infanticidal behavior in naïve mice?
This article is part of a Special Issue “Parental Care”. There is significant variability in the behavioral responses displayed by naïve young and adult mice when first exposed to pups. This variability has been associated with differences in the expression of oxytocin receptors (OXTRs) in the brain in several species. Experiment I investigated the behavioral […]
Parent–offspring behavior of Jambu fruit doves (Ptilinopus jambu)
Fruit doves (Ptilinopus) constitute a genus of small to medium-sized, brightly colored arboreal birds, whose diets consist entirely of fruit. Little is known about the behavior of fruit doves because most species inhabit dense forests and are difficult to observe in the wild. This study describes the parental behavior of Jambu fruit dove pairs (Ptilinopus […]