Paternal behavior in six species of muroid rodents

Abstract

In Experiment I parental behavior was studied in 10 pairs of each of six species of muroid rodents: Microtus californicus, M. ochrogaster, M. californicus, M. montanus, Peromyscus maniculatus, and P. leucopus. Appreciable amounts of sitting on the nest, licking pups, and manipulating nesting materials were observed for all species, and manipulation and retrieval of pups for all Microtus species. Sex differences in parental behavior were relatively infrequent, reaching statistical significance in 9 of 60 comparisons. Species differences were significant in 58 of 150 comparisons for males and 46 of 150 for females. In Experiment II it was found that parity had little effect on parental behavior in the two Peromyscus species. These data both expand the catalog of species for which paternal behavior has been described and extend previous observations in several species. However, they provide little support for hypotheses that such behavior in the laboratory either is indicative of paternal behavior in the field or is a correlate of monogamous breeding systems, certainty of paternity, or adoption of a K-strategy in nature.