| Abstract: | Previous data have shown that maternal behavior can be primed in mice by exposure to sound and smell from pups. This experiment shows that both types of cues act selectively on different maternal responses. Three groups of 20 naïve females were given an initial exposure respectively to both auditory and olfactory cues from pups, to auditory cues alone, or to olfactory cues alone. Their results during a subsequent standard test for maternal behaviour were then compared with those of 20 naïve control females, not previously exposed to cues from pups. The results favor the assumption of a selective priming process, olfactory cues exerting a positive effect on cleaning of pups, auditory cues exerting a positive effect on nest-building. |
