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 […]
Social and Environmental Factors Influence the Suppression of Pup-Directed Aggression and Development of Paternal Behavior in Captive Meadow Voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus)
During summer, female meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) maintain territories and males do not engage in paternal care. As day length shortens, territories dissolve and males nest with females and young. Because paternal behavior has never been studied in free-living meadow voles during colder months or in the laboratory under short photoperiods, the authors examined whether […]
Hormonal Correlates of Paternal Care Differences in the Hylobatidae
Only one of the 15 species of monogamous hylobatids, the siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus), demonstrates direct paternal care in the form of infant-carrying, providing a unique model for examining hormonal correlates of paternal care differences between siamangs and gibbons. We used behavioral data and fecal hormone analysis to investigate (1) differences in monthly percent father–infant proximity […]
Paternal behavior in rodents
The literature on paternal behavior in rodents includes reports of many species; however, paternal behavior appears more prevalent among muroid and hystricomorph rodents than in the sciurids. Many reports of paternal behavior are based on small numbers of animals observed under special conditions. Where systematic studies have been conducted, the most salient feature of rodent […]
Testosterone positively associated with both male mating effort and paternal behavior in savanna baboons (Papio cynocephalus)
Abstract Testosterone (T) is often positively associated with male sexual behavior and negatively associated with paternal care. These associations have primarily been demonstrated in species where investment in paternal care begins well after mating activity is complete, when offspring are hatched or born. Different patterns may emerge in studies of species where investment in mating […]
Chronic variable stress in fathers alters paternal and social behavior but not pup development in the biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus)
Stress and chronically elevated glucocorticoid levels have been shown to disrupt parental behavior in mothers; however, almost no studies have investigated corresponding effects in fathers. The present experiment tested the hypothesis that chronic variable stress inhibits paternal behavior and consequently alters pup development in the monogamous, biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). First-time fathers were assigned […]
Early bi-parental separation or neonatal paternal deprivation in mandarin voles reduces adult offspring paternal behavior and alters serum corticosterone levels and neurochemistry
Although the effect of early social environments on maternal care in adulthood has been examined in detail, few studies have addressed the long-term effect on paternal care and its underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms. Here, using monogamous mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus) that show high levels of paternal care, the effects of early bi-parental separation (EBPS) or neonatal […]
Primate paternal care: Interactions between biology and social experience
This article is part of a Special Issue “Parental Care”.We review recent research on the roles of hormones and social experiences on the development of paternal care in humans and non-human primates. Generally, lower concentrations of testosterone and higher concentrations of oxytocin are associated with greater paternal responsiveness. Hormonal changes prior to the birth appear […]