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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Primary Endodermal Epithelial Cell Culture from the Yolk Sac Membrane of Japanese Quail Embryos
Published on: March 10, 2016
Nongenomic inheritance of emotional reactivity in Japanese quail
Marie-Annick Richard-Yris1, Nadia Michel, Aline Bertin
1UMR CNRS 6552, Ethologie-Evolution-Ecologie, Université de Rennes 1, Bât. 25, Campus de Beaulieu, F-35042 Rennes Cedex, France. marie-annick.richard@univ-rennes1.fr
Abstract:
Avian scientific literature includes few reports on the influence of characteristics of mothers on the behavior of their offspring. By comparing young domestic Japanese quail raised by adoptive mothers with high levels of general emotional reactivity (E+ mothers) to young raised by adoptive mothers with low levels of general emotional reactivity (E- mothers), we evaluated the influence of characteristics of mothers on the behavioral development of their offspring. Our results revealed that general emotional reactivity was higher in young raised by E+ mothers than in young raised by E- mothers. These differences were significant in the presence of mothers as well as after separation from them, suggesting direct as well as long-term maternal influence. Young raised by E+ mothers also presented delayed increases in weight.
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