At what age do rat young stop responding to the maternal pheromone?
We tested postweanling rat young to see if they would continue to respond to the maternal pheromone when pheromone-containing feces were made available in the home cage. We found that they do, and that the consumption of pheromone-containing feces is important for such sustained responsiveness. Nonetheless, interest in the pheromone does not continue past 50 days of age. The possible adaptive significance of the continuation and cessation of pheromonal responsiveness was discussed.
D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D000818:Animals; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D009425:Nesting Behavior; D010675:Pheromones / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology
D010675:Pheromones