Sex differences in the parental behavior of rodents

The reproductive strategy of many mammalian species that give birth to altricial young involves intense and prolonged care of their offspring. In most cases, the mother provides all nurturance, but in some cases fathers, older siblings, or unrelated conspecifics participate in parental care. The dis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews 2000-08, Vol.24 (6), p.669-686
Main Authors: Lonstein, Joseph S., De Vries, Geert J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal ethology
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Estrogen
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Infanticide
Male
Mammalia
Maternal behavior
Maternal Behavior - physiology
Monogamy
Paternal Behavior
Polygamy
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Rodentia
Rodentia - psychology
Sex Characteristics
Sexual differentiation
Sexually dimorphic
Social behavior
Testosterone
Vertebrata
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Summary:The reproductive strategy of many mammalian species that give birth to altricial young involves intense and prolonged care of their offspring. In most cases, the mother provides all nurturance, but in some cases fathers, older siblings, or unrelated conspecifics participate in parental care. The display of these behaviors by animals other than mothers is affected by numerous factors, including their sex. We herein review the literature on similarities and/or differences between male and female laboratory rodents (rats, mice, voles, gerbils, and hamsters) in their parental responsiveness and discuss how the parental behavior of males and females is influenced by hormones, developmental processes, and prior social experiences. Understanding the mechanisms that generate sex differences in the parental responsiveness of rodents may indicate how similar sex differences in parental care are generated in other mammals.
ISSN:0149-7634
1873-7528
DOI:10.1016/S0149-7634(00)00036-1