Social subordination and scent-marking in male Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).
Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) readily attacks an unfamiliar gerbil intruding into its territory. After several attacks, subordinated intruders seldom scent-mark in the occupied area. This inhibition of scent-marking is a response to stimuli associated with the defended territory, since subordinated males mark normally elsewhere. Previous research suggested that olfactory cues were primarily responsible, but data presented here do not support this. Subordinated males scent-marked as often as controls in a neutral arean contaminated with the dominant animals' bedding odours. Moreover, subordinate males seldom scent-marked in an area resembling the defended territory, even though defeat-related odours were absent. Repeated exposure without attack to the visually similar, but clean, test area did not enhance marking in subordinated males.
D000818:Animals; D004291:Dominance-Subordination; D005849:Gerbillinae / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants; D012627:Sebaceous Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D012930:Social Dominance; D013731:Territoriality