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Published on: May 21, 2020
Infant-mother recognition in a social rodent (Octodon degus)
Thomas Fuchs1, Paolo Iacobucci, Katherine M MacKinnon
1Department of Biology, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, USA.
Insights
Young degus (Octodon degus) alter isolation vocalizations after social contact. While they recognize familiar nesting materials, infant degus initially fail to distinguish their mother from unfamiliar females.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Animal Models
- Mammalian Ethology
Background:
- Octodon degus (degu) are a biparental rodent species with precocious offspring.
- Degus serve as a potential model for studying social attachment and affective disorders like depression.
- Understanding infant-mother recognition is crucial for social development research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the nature of the social bond between young degus and their mothers.
- To emphasize infant-mother recognition in degus.
- To determine if social contact modulates an infant degu's vocal response to isolation.
Main Methods:
- A potentiation paradigm was used to test infant degus' vocal response to isolation after social contact.
- Infant degus were presented with choices between their mother and an unfamiliar female.
- Litters were tested for their ability to discriminate between their mother and unfamiliar females in group settings.
Main Results:
- Infant degus altered their isolation vocal response following brief social contact.
- Degu infants successfully distinguished between familiar and unfamiliar nesting materials.
- Infant degus failed to differentiate their mother from unfamiliar females in an individual choice test.
- Entire litters demonstrated a preference for their mothers in a group setting.
Conclusions:
- Social contact influences vocal responses to isolation in young degus.
- Early social recognition in degus may be facilitated by group testing.
- Degus exhibit complex social recognition abilities that develop with social context.
Abstract:
Octodon degus (degu), a biparental species with precocious offspring is a potential model for the study of social attachment and related affective disorders such as depression. This study investigates the nature of the social bond between young degus and their mothers with a special emphasis on infant-mother recognition. We tested young degus in a potentiation paradigm to determine if social contact, particularly with the mother, can modulate an infant's vocal response to isolation. One week later, animals were presented with a choice between their mother and an unfamiliar female or a sample of familiar and unfamiliar nesting materials. Subsequently, the ability of whole litters to discriminate between their mother and unfamiliar females was tested. We observed that infant degus alter their isolation response after brief social contact. Degu infants readily distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar nesting materials but fail to differentiate between their mother and unfamiliar females in an identical setting. Nevertheless, entire litters show a preference for their mothers when tested similarly in a group, demonstrating a perhaps socially facilitated ability to recognize the biological mother at an early age.
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