Sex difference in the control of scent-marking behavior in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus).

Investigated the importance of the gonadal hormones in the control of the scent-marking behavior of 51 adult female Mongolian gerbils. Gonadectomy did not lead to the decrease in marking which had been expected from previous studies with males. The 2nd experiment was a longitudinal study of the development of scent marking in 36 female Ss. Ss were ovariectomized or given sham operations at 22 days of age. Gonadal hormones were not required for the development of marking. In both experiments morphological measures of the ventral sebaceous scent gland and the presence of the vaginal orifice were affected by gonadectomy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)