Social behaviors are affected by sebum scents

Publication: 
Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.:
Standard No: 
OSTMA-PSYC-Burns-Barbara-19920402
Creator: 

Burns, Barbara

Historical Context: 

The differences in gerbil behavior -thigmotaxis, nose-to-peg sniffing, self-grooming, marking- were investigated to determine if gerbils could identify sebum scent, as that of colony or non-colony members. Subjects were 10 male Mongolian gerbils Meriones Unquiculatus, approximately 4 months old. Each gerbil was observed in a test field containing a peg swabbed with familiar or unfamiliar sebum scents. Results indicated that the unfamiliar scent post was readily approached, explored marked than avoided. The familiar scent post was readily approached, sniffed and explored but not avoided. Gerbils in the presence of familiar scent groomed often and spent less time exploring the test field. There was a group mean interaction for grooming between the familiar and unfamiliar scents when four sebum smears were applied to the peg. These findings indicate that gerbils will approach gerbil sebum scent but their behaviors vary depending on the familiarity of the sebum scent.

Responsibility: 
Barbara Burns
Start Date: 
1992
Description Level: 
End Date: 
1992
Date Range: 
1992 April 02
Physical Description: 

1.36 MB of textual records (PDF)

Notes: 

Audience: Undergraduate. -- Dissertation: Thesis (B. A.). -- Algoma University, 1992. -- Submitted in partial fulfillment of course requirements for PSYC 4105. -- Includes figures. -- Contents: Thesis.

rec_shelfloc: 
2013-064-001
Repository: 
Algoma University Archive
Container Number: 
001