Abstract
Two experiments are described. Mice bulbectomized during pregnancy failed to care for their offspring and built poorly constructed nests. Lesions placed 2 days after parturition, of comparable size, did not prevent the mothers from caring for their litters, though the young were lighter than controls after 7 days. Bulbectomized lactating females were more active than controls when first returned to their home cages. They failed to retrieve their young and initially demolished their nests, although these were later found to be as well formed as those of controls.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Reference Note
Cooper, A. J. Some effects of olfactory bulb lesions on the development and behavior of male mice. PhD thesis, The Queen’s University, Belfast, Northem Ireland, 1973.
References
Beniest-Noirot, E. Analyse du comportement dit “maternal” chez la souris. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1958. (Monographies Francaises de Psychologic 1).
Bruce, H. M. Feeding and rearing of laboratory animals. Journal of Hygiene (Cambridge), 1950, 48, 171–183.
Gandelman, R., Zarrow, M. X., & Denenberg, V. H. Stimulus control of cannibalism and maternal behavior in anosmic mice. Physiology and Behavior, 1971, 7, 583–586.
Gandelman, R., Zarrow, M. X., Denenberg, V. H., & Myers, M. Olfactory bulb removal eliminates maternal behavior in the mouse. Science, 1971, 171, 210-211.
McClelland, R. J., & Cowley, J. J. Olfactory bulb lesions and under-nutrition in neonatal mice. International Research Communication Systems: Medical Science, 1973, 1, 12.
Noirot, E. Changes in responsiveness to young in the adult mouse: II. The effect of external stimuli. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1964, 57, 97–99.
Schlein, p. a., Zarrow, M. X., Cohen, H. A., Denenberg, V. H., & Johnson, N. P. The differential effect of anosmia on maternal behavior in the virgin and primiparous rat. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, 1972, 30, 139–142.
Siegel, S. Non-parametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. London: McGraw-Hill, 1956.
Zarrow, M. X., Gandelman, R., & Denenberg, V. H. Lack of nest building and maternal behavior in the mouse following olfactory bulb removal. Hormones and Behavior, 1971, 2, 227–238.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
J. J. Cowley is now at the School of Natural Sciences (Psychology), Hatfield Polytechnic, Hatfield, Herts, United Kingdom.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cowley, J.J., Cooper, A.J. The effects of olfactory bulb lesions on the maternal behavior of the mouse. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 9, 55–57 (1977). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336928
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336928