1993 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
ETHOENDOCRINOLOGICAL STUDY OF BEHAVIOR-REGULATING MECHANISMS IN RODENTS
Project/Area Number |
04640684
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
Research Field |
動物形態・分類学
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Research Institution | UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO |
Principal Investigator |
KIMURA Takeji UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, PROFESSOR, 教養学部, 教授 (90012335)
|
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
DAUMAE Masashi UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, ASSISTANT, 教養学部, 助手 (30207683)
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Project Period (FY) |
1992 – 1993
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Keywords | Mouse / Japanese dormouse / Apodemus / Sex attractant / Hibernation / Paternal behavior / Androgen / Urine marking |
Research Abstract |
(1) Sex-attractant emitted by male mice. We published a paper reporting that more than 50 volatile compounds are newly formed in male mouse preputial gland secretion after excretion. Many of them were also found in excreted urine, supporting our hypothesis that both urinary and preputial factors present in excreted urine are responsible for female attraction. (2) Relationship between paternal behaviors and androgen in male mice. We have already confirmed that paternal behaviors of male mice were enhanced by experience of copulation. Since castration also enhances those behaviors even in naive males, relationship between copulation and androgen secretion was analyzed carefully. Results indicate that the occurrence of paternal behavior after copulation is independent from the androgen level in circulating blood. (3) Effects of isolation on aggressive behaviors in male mice. We found that incompletely isolated males (separated by wire-net barrier) were much more aggressive than completely isolated or grouped ones, suggesting that previous explanations concerning isolation-effect must be reconsidered. (4) Factos regulating hibernation in Japanese dormice. We published a paper reporting that the restriction of food is the crucial factor for the onset of hibernation in dormice. Another paper indicating that the restriction of food causes lowering of body temperature to the level of ambient temperature even in summertime has been submitted for publication. (5) Olfactory communication in Japanese field mice. Responses of males of two Apodemus species to urine odor of conspecifics were examined. It was found that in A.argenteus, males avoid the area marked by a pair of a male and a female, while in A.speciosus, no such avoidance is observed. This species difference seems to reflect the difference of mating system and territoriality.
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Research Products
(16 results)