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Environmental effects on the ontogeny of exploratory and escape behaviors of mongolian gerbils
Author(s) -
Clark Mertice M.,
Galef Bennett G.
Publication year - 1982
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.420150205
Subject(s) - juvenile , ontogeny , psychology , developmental psychology , biology , zoology , ecology , endocrinology
Mongolian gerbils reared in standard laboratory cages and gerbils reared in cages containing a burrowlike shelter did not differ in their rate of development of escape responses to sudden visual stimulation. The presence of shelter in the rearing environment did, however, markedly slow the development of adult‐like patterns of exploration. Reduced exposure to illumination, experienced by shelter‐reared subjects, proved responsible for this retardation of development. The effect of shelter‐rearing on the development of exploratory behavior is interpreted as demonstrating an environmentally induced maintenance of an adaptive juvenile pattern of behavior.