Adpatations for urinary marking in rodents: prepuce length and morphology.
Urine marking was examined in house mice, deermice, gerbils and hamsters. The frequency of urine deposition varied with the species, and a correlation is suggested between the propensity of males to mark in this fashion and prepuce length and morphology. We postulate an adaptational advantage for a long penis sheath and for a particular configuration of the prepuce; i.e. to act as a wick for the deposition of urinary pheromones.
D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D005849:Gerbillinae; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010413:Penis / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D010675:Pheromones / Q000502:physiology*; D012377:Rodentia / Q000502:physiology*; D012931:Social Environment; D014554:Urination
D010675:Pheromones