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In uniparental Phodopus sungorus , new mothers, and fathers present during the birth of their offspring, are the only hamsters that readily consume fresh placenta
Author(s) -
Gregg Jennifer K.,
WynneEdwards Katherine E.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.20174
Subject(s) - phodopus , offspring , placenta , psychology , developmental psychology , biology , hamster , pregnancy , fetus , endocrinology , genetics
Placentophagia is common among parturient female mammals but non‐parturient females generally refuse placenta. Biparental male dwarf hamsters ( Phodopus campbelli ) readily consume placenta. The present study quantified placentophagia and liver acceptance in the closely related Siberian hamster P. sungorus in which males do not participate in the birth and are not responsive to a displaced pup. Sexually naïve P. sungorus males and females refused both placenta and liver (all groups <10%). Reproductive females specifically consumed placenta on the day before (G17), and the day of, parturition (G18) (>80%). Males rejected both tissues on G17 and accepted placenta soon after the birth (G18) (80%) only if they were present during the birth. Palatability of the placenta was not responsible for the species difference as P . campbelli accepted P. sungorus placenta. Results are consistent with a neophobic reaction to both placenta (conspecific or heterospecific) and liver as P. sungorus also rejected P. campbelli placenta. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 48: 528–536, 2006.