Social dominance, reproduction, and release of the maturation-delaying chemosignal in the urine of female house mice (Mus musculus).

Conducted 5 experiments to investigate the effects of social status in groups of female mice on reproduction and on the release of urinary chemosignals that accelerate or delay the onset of sexual maturation. In Exps I and II, using 184 Ss, treatment of young females with urine from bottom-ranking, but not top-ranking, Ss in groups of 5 adult females resulted in delays in puberty comparable to those produced by treatment with urine pooled from females housed at moderate to high densities. In Exps III and IV, using 220 Ss, there was an interaction between the S's social rank and the stages of the estrous cycle with respect to the presence in the urine of chemosignals from grouping that delay puberty and estrus that accelerate puberty. Within groups of 5 Ss, top-ranking Ss were in estrus more frequently than bottom-ranking Ss. Individually caged Ss treated with urine from top-ranking females were in estrus more frequently than those treated with urine from bottom-ranking females. In Exp V, using 100 Ss, when grouped females were separated into individual cages and mated, more top-ranking Ss conceived and bore litters than bottom-ranking Ss. Bottom-ranking Ss produced more female pups than did top- and middle-ranking Ss. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)