Pine vole reproduction

Effects of Olfactory Cues on Reproductive Activation and Suppression of Female Pine Voles... 

Brant, C. L. 1995. A mechanistic examination of reproductive suppression in the cooperatively breeding pine vole Microtus pinetorum). Master s thesis. Miami University, Oxford, OH. 

Lepri, J. J. Vandenbergh J. G. 1986. Puberty in pine voles, Microtus pinetorum, and the influence of chemosig-nals on female reproduction. Biol. Reprod., 34, 370-377. 

Solomon, N. G., Vandenbergh, J. G., Wekesa, K. S. Barghusen, L. 1996. Chemical cues are necessary but insufficient for reproductive activation of female pine voles Microtus pinetorum). Biol. Reprod., 54, 1038-1045. 

Reproductive Activation in Female Pine Voles, Microtus pinetorum... 

Lepri, J. J., and Vandenbergh, J. G., in preparation. The influence of chetnosignals on reproductive activation in the female pine vole, Microtus pinetorum. 

FAMILIAL CHEMOSIGNALS INTERFERE WITH REPRODUCTIVE ACTIVATION IN FEMALE PINE VOLES, MICROTUS PINETORUM... 

Figure 1. Changes in mean (+ SEM) reproductive organ weights of female pine voles paired with stud males for varying periods of time (n 12 females per treatment).

The life history strategy of delayed maturation in pine voles is accompanied by an unusually low litter size 2 or 3 pups per litter (Kirkpatrick and Valentine, 1970 Schadler and Buttersteln, 1979), compared to other species of voles (Hasler, 1975) Small litters and delayed maturation both might result in the production of a few high-quality individuals that are competent to successfully disperse and recruit into the breeding population (see Stearns, 1976). However, delayed maturation is a facultative response to continued association with the family, as females can conceive as early as 32 days of age when Isolated from the family (Lepri, in preparation). Thus, should an opportunity for dispersal occur, there is sufficient flexibility in the reproductive development of females to rapidly exploit it. 

Kirkpatrick, R. L., and Valentine, G. L., 1970, Reproduction in captive pine voles, Microtus pinetorum, J. Mamm., 51 779. 

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