Effects of olfactory cues on sexual behavior in the brown lemming, Lemmus trimucronatus

Three groups of female lemmings were tested to determine the effects of odor familiarity on measures of reproductive behavior. A familiar odor (FO) group was exposed to the bedding of a particular male for 1 wk, then tested with that male. A second female group (unfamiliar odor; UO) was exposed to t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of comparative psychology (1983) 1983-06, Vol.97 (2), p.120-126
Main Authors: Coopersmith, C B, Banks, E M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal
Animal Mating Behavior
Animals
Arvicolinae
Cues
Estrus
Familiarity
Female
Olfactory Perception
Pregnancy
Rodents
Sex Attractants
Sexual Behavior, Animal
Smell
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Summary:Three groups of female lemmings were tested to determine the effects of odor familiarity on measures of reproductive behavior. A familiar odor (FO) group was exposed to the bedding of a particular male for 1 wk, then tested with that male. A second female group (unfamiliar odor; UO) was exposed to the bedding of a male for 1 wk, then tested with a different male. A third group (control; CO) was not exposed to male bedding prior to being tested with a male. The FO females engaged in higher frequencies of contact social behaviors than did UO and CO females. Males with FO females ejaculated more frequently than did the males with UO and CO females. Latencies to first display of sexual behaviors (female: lordosis; male: mount, thrust, and ejaculation) were lower for FO pairs. These results suggest that previous exposure of females to the odor of a given male facilitates sexual behaviors when such females are later paired with that male.
ISSN:0735-7036
1939-2087
DOI:10.1037/0735-7036.97.2.120