Olfactory feedback during exploratory behavior by gerbils.

Abstract

In two separate experiments the locomotor activity of gerbils ( Ns = 16) was studied in an open field. The subjects were allowed to explore the field and were then returned to the same or an identical one. These were either contaminated or not with the organism's recent odor trail, though visually identical. Considerably less exploratory activity occurred when the field still contained the odor trail set out during the previous exploration. It is argued that the olfactory “marking” operates as a negative feedback device by limiting activity in a previously explored environment.