Premium
Perinatal Hormone Exposure Alters the Expression of Selective Affiliative Preferences in Prairie Voles
Author(s) -
ROBERTS R. LUCILLE,
GUSTAFSON ERIC A.,
CARTER C. SUE
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1997.tb51969.x
Subject(s) - prairie vole , hormone , zoology , prairie dog , arvicolinae , biology , psychology , ecology , developmental psychology , endocrinology , microtus
In the present study, perinatal administration of corticosterone and testosterone significantly influenced affiliative preferences only in females. Despite the very high levels of steroids given, no significant differences were noted among treated and untreated groups of males. Prairie voles apparently are uniquely adapted to tolerate high levels of endogenous steroids. However, females of this species may be capable of exploiting variations in corticosterone levels to regulate sexually dimorphic traits, including social behaviors, in adulthood. Perinatal responsivity to adrenal hormones could allow animals to adapt their social behaviors, including traits that have been used to characterize monogamy and/or communal breeding, to environmental demands.