Linked Life Data

11534995

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/11534995

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2001-9-5
pubmed:abstractText
The extent to which "nurture" as opposed to "nature" determines behavior and sociosexual preferences in mammalian species is controversial although most recent interest has focused on genetic determinants. We report here that if sheep and goats are cross-fostered at birth, but raised in mixed-species groups, their play and grooming behavior resembles that of their foster rather than genetic species. There are no sex differences in effects on these behaviors, and other species-specific behavior patterns such as aggression, browsing, climbing, and vocalizations are unaffected. In adulthood, cross-fostered males strongly prefer to socialize and mate with females of their foster mother's species, even if raised with a conspecific of their own species. Castration within 2 days of birth slightly reduces the level of this altered social preference but mating preference following short-term testosterone treatment is the same as for gonadally intact animals. Cross-fostered females also show significant preference for socializing with females and mating with males of their foster mother's species, although this effect is weaker than that in both gonadally intact and castrated males. When cross-fostered animals are placed in flocks containing members of only their genetic species for 3 years, male social and mating preferences for females of their mother's species remain virtually unaffected. Females change to display an exclusive mating preference for members of their genetic species in 1-2 years although they still retain some social interest in female members of their foster species. Thus, there are clear sex differences in the impact of the emotional bond between a mother and her offspring in these mammals. Effects on males are strongest and irreversibly maintained even after altering their social environment, whereas those on females are weaker and mating preferences are clearly adaptable in the face of altered social priorities. These sex differences are presumably caused by pre-, or early postnatal, organizational effects of sex hormones on the brain.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Sep
pubmed:issn
0018-506X
pubmed:author
pubmed:copyrightInfo
Copyright 2001 Academic Press.
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
40
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
322-38
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2001
pubmed:articleTitle
Sex differences in the influence of mothers on the sociosexual preferences of their offspring.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Neurobiology, Babraham, Cambridge CB2 4AT, United Kingdom. keith.kendrick@bbsrc.ac.uk
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Comparative Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't