MATERNAL CONDITION AND FEMALE PREFERENCE FOR SONS IN WILD HOUSE MICE

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that a female's preference for male odors is influenced by the physiological condition of prospective males, whether it be through food-deprivation of that male or through food-deprivation of his mother during gestation. Wild female house mice (Mus musculus) in estrous were presented with the odors of two types of male mice, matched for weight, in a two-chamber olfactometer. Females spent significantly more time in, and more frequently visited, the chamber with the odor of males whose mothers had been fed ad. libitum during gestation than the chamber with the odor of males from mothers who had been food-deprived during gestation. Since food-deprivation can affect body mass of their sons, estrous females were also presented with males of differing masses. Females were found to spend more time with the heavier males than the lighter males. When females were presented with males fed ad libitum and males that had been food-deprived for 24 h immediately prior to a test, females spent more time with the males fed ad libitum. Finally, females tended to visit and spend more time with males fed ad libitum over males that were food-deprived for 24 h two days before the test. These results suggest that food restriction of a female mouse during gestation may have significant effects on the ability of her male offspring to 'attract' females. These results support the Trivers and Willard model (1973) that states that poor maternal condition may alter the reproductive success of male offspring more than that of female offspring.