Contribution of nesting experience to progesterone-induced incubation in ring doves (Streptopelia risoria)

Injections of progesterone induce incubation behavior in gonadally intact ring doves only if the doves have had previous experience with at least the nest-building phase of a breeding cycle. The present study was designed to determine whether exposure to progesterone during the nest-building phase is sufficient to account for the ability of progesterone to induce incubation at a later time or whether some other factor provided by experience with this phase of the cycle is needed. Six groups of 10 pairs of doves each were provided with different combinations of experience and progesterone priming. Progesterone priming combined with social isolation or with courtship experience had no significant effect on subsequent progesterone-induced incubation. However, doves that participated in the nesting phase of the cycle during progesterone priming later incubated in response to progesterone treatment. Nesting activity, which may or may not include building the nest, seemed to be the relevant experience.     

A new model for sexual conditioning: the ring dove (Streptopelia risoria)

Sexual conditioning investigations have primarily used rats and domestic quail as subjects. Although much has been learned from such experiments, the relative simplicity of rat and quail reproductive behavior prohibits investigation of certain experimental questions about sexual conditioning. In contrast, the reproductive behavior of male and female ring doves (Streptopelia risoria) is complex, involving courtship, bonding, and parental care. In the present experiment, male ring doves that were presented with a visual conditioned stimulus paired with access to their pair-bonded mate (the unconditioned stimulus) showed sexual conditioned responding in the presence of the conditioned stimulus. These results represent the first evidence of sexual conditioning in ring doves and illustrate the potential of ring doves as a useful model for future sexual conditioning investigations.     

Habenular lesions and feminine sexual behavior of ovariectomized rats: diminished responsiveness to the synergistic effects of estrogen and progesterone.

Bilateral electrolytic lesions in the habenula resulted in disruption of estrogen-progesterone-evoked feminine sexual behaviors of ovariectomized female rats. There were no difference between lesioned and sham-operated animals in tests conducted after the administration of estrogen alone. Animals with lesions were characterized by an increased proportion of mounts not followed by lordosis, a decreased proportion of mounts followed by pronounced lordosis, and a decreased proportion of mounts preceded by soliciting behaviors. Lesions had a negligible effect upon the tendency to hold lordotic postures after the male dismounted. The results suggested that the habenula is involved in modulating responsiveness to the synergistic effects of estrogen and progesterone.     

Effect of shared information and owner behavior on showing in dogs (Canis familiaris)

Animal Cognition - Dogs’ production of referential communicative signals, i.e., showing, has gained increasing scientific interest over the last years. In this paper, we investigate whether...     

Do not prime hawks with doves: the interplay of construct activation and consistency of social value orientation on cooperative behavior

Low and high consistent pro-socials and pro-selfs were primed with neutral, morality, or might concepts in mixed-motive situations. The authors expected participants' social value orientation to influence cooperative behavior among (a) high consistent individuals in all prime conditions and (b) low consistent individuals in the neutral prime condition only. The authors also expected the primes to influence cooperative behavior more among low than high consistent individuals. Four experiments using supra-liminal (Experiments 1, 2, and 4) or subliminal (Experiment 3) priming and 2-person (Experiments 1-3) or N-person (Experiment 4) social dilemmas partially supported these initial predictions. One intriguing exception was that morality primes reduced cooperation among high consistent pro-selfs. Experiments 2-4 allowed testing for the potential role of expectations in shaping participants' cooperative behavior.     

Effect of voluntary exercise on open-field behavior and on aggression in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR)

In the present study we investigated the influence of voluntary exercise on exploratory behavior and on aggression in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). Twenty-four SHR (8 weeks old) were randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a sedentary control group. The animals in the exercise group exhibited a spontaneous wheel running activity of 5-6 km/day during 6 weeks. The characteristic hyperexploratory behavior of SHR was lowered in the exercise group (p less than .001) as compared to the control group. The runners also showed a tendency for less aggression. In the postexercise period, when the runners' wheels were locked, the exercise group had a significant rise in aggression (p less than .01) vs the controls. The exploratory behavior returned immediately to the level of the controls, but we found no further increase in any of the parameters measured. However, the runners showed a type of displaced aggression exhibited as digging and biting in the test cage. This evidence suggests that voluntary exercise lowers the hyperexploratory behavior and aggression in the SHR and that an abrupt stop in exercise gives an "abstinence" reaction.