Interactions between parents and parents and pups in the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus).

The California mouse (Peromyscuscalifornicus) may be a valuable animal model to study parenting as it is one of the few monogamous and biparental rodent species. By using automated infra-red imaging and video documentation of established pairs spanning two days prior to birth of the litter until d 5...

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Main Authors: Cheryl S Rosenfeld, Sarah A Johnson, Mark R Ellersieck, R Michael Roberts
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3777941?pdf=render
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author Cheryl S Rosenfeld
Sarah A Johnson
Mark R Ellersieck
R Michael Roberts
author_facet Cheryl S Rosenfeld
Sarah A Johnson
Mark R Ellersieck
R Michael Roberts
author_sort Cheryl S Rosenfeld
collection DOAJ
description The California mouse (Peromyscuscalifornicus) may be a valuable animal model to study parenting as it is one of the few monogamous and biparental rodent species. By using automated infra-red imaging and video documentation of established pairs spanning two days prior to birth of the litter until d 5 of post natal development (PND), it was possible to follow interactions between parents and between parents and pups. The paired males were attentive to their partners in the form of grooming and sniffing throughout the time period studied. Both these and other activities of the partners, such as eating and drinking, peaked during late light/ mid-dark period. Beginning the day before birth, and most significantly on PND 0, the female made aggressive attempts to exclude the male from nest-attending, acts that were not reciprocated by the male, although he made repeated attempts to mate his partner during that period. By PND 1, males were permitted to return to the nest, where they initiated grooming, licking, and huddling over the litter, although time spent by the male on parental care was still less than that of the female. Male and female pups were of similar size and grew at the same rate. Pups, which are believed to be exothermic for at least the first two weeks post-natally, maintained a body temperature higher than that of their parents until PND 16. Data are consistent with the inference that the male California mouse parent is important in helping retain pup body heat and permit dams increased time to procure food to accommodate her increased energy needs for lactation. These assessments provide indices that may be used to assess the effects of extrinsic factors, such as endocrine disrupting chemicals, on biparental behaviors and offspring development.
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spelling doaj.art-bb5f58f21060495e84dce76adb686ffa2022-12-21T18:43:24ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0189e7572510.1371/journal.pone.0075725Interactions between parents and parents and pups in the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus).Cheryl S RosenfeldSarah A JohnsonMark R EllersieckR Michael RobertsThe California mouse (Peromyscuscalifornicus) may be a valuable animal model to study parenting as it is one of the few monogamous and biparental rodent species. By using automated infra-red imaging and video documentation of established pairs spanning two days prior to birth of the litter until d 5 of post natal development (PND), it was possible to follow interactions between parents and between parents and pups. The paired males were attentive to their partners in the form of grooming and sniffing throughout the time period studied. Both these and other activities of the partners, such as eating and drinking, peaked during late light/ mid-dark period. Beginning the day before birth, and most significantly on PND 0, the female made aggressive attempts to exclude the male from nest-attending, acts that were not reciprocated by the male, although he made repeated attempts to mate his partner during that period. By PND 1, males were permitted to return to the nest, where they initiated grooming, licking, and huddling over the litter, although time spent by the male on parental care was still less than that of the female. Male and female pups were of similar size and grew at the same rate. Pups, which are believed to be exothermic for at least the first two weeks post-natally, maintained a body temperature higher than that of their parents until PND 16. Data are consistent with the inference that the male California mouse parent is important in helping retain pup body heat and permit dams increased time to procure food to accommodate her increased energy needs for lactation. These assessments provide indices that may be used to assess the effects of extrinsic factors, such as endocrine disrupting chemicals, on biparental behaviors and offspring development.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3777941?pdf=render
spellingShingle Cheryl S Rosenfeld
Sarah A Johnson
Mark R Ellersieck
R Michael Roberts
Interactions between parents and parents and pups in the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus).
PLoS ONE
title Interactions between parents and parents and pups in the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus).
title_full Interactions between parents and parents and pups in the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus).
title_fullStr Interactions between parents and parents and pups in the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus).
title_full_unstemmed Interactions between parents and parents and pups in the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus).
title_short Interactions between parents and parents and pups in the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus).
title_sort interactions between parents and parents and pups in the monogamous california mouse peromyscus californicus
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3777941?pdf=render
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AT markrellersieck interactionsbetweenparentsandparentsandpupsinthemonogamouscaliforniamouseperomyscuscalifornicus
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