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 […]
Observational learning of an acquired maternal behaviour pattern by working dog pups an alternative training method
German shepherd pups from untrained bitches and bitches trained in the location of narcotics were either separated from their mothers at 6 weeks (standard raised) or at 3 months of age (extended maternal care). Pups with extended maternal care which were allowed to observe their trained mothers locating and retrieving a sachet of odour-producing narcotic […]
Glucocorticoids, individual quality and reproductive investment in a passerine bird
Measures of individual quality, especially energetic resources, have long been linked to investment in reproduction. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying this relationship are not well understood. In this study, we examined glucocorticoids as a potential mediator linking individual quality to investment in reproduction, because glucocorticoids have been associated with measures of both energetic resources and […]
The effect of alloparental experience and care on anxiety-like, social and parental behaviour in adult mandarin voles
Social experiences, especially during early development, have profound effects on the brain and behaviour in later life. We examined whether the provision of alloparental care by older siblings affects anxiety, sociability and parental behaviour at adulthood in both them and the younger siblings for which they care. Using mandarin voles, Microtus mandarinus, we kept the […]