Pheromonal release of suckling in rabbits does not depend on the vomeronasal organ
Abstract
Newborn rabbits are completely dependent on a pheromone present on the mother's belly for the release of the highly stereotyped nipple-search behavior and for nipple attachment. Surgical removal of the vomeronasal organ had no effect on pups' ability to respond to the pheromone when tested on a lactating female, nor on their ability to obtain milk in the normal nursing situation. Lesioned pups could also learn to associate the odor of citral with nipple-search behavior when nursed by a citral-scented doe. In contrast, irrigating the nasal mucosa with ZnSO4 completely eliminated responsiveness both to the pheromone and to the conditioned odor of citral. This is of particular interest given the important role attributed to the accessory olfactory system in pheromonal perception. However, it might be necessary to distinguish between pheromones associated with suckling and therefore peculiar to mammals, and other pheromones.
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The response of newborn rabbits to the mother's nipple and the standing response of a receptive female pig to the male's pheromone both depend on the main olfactory system.
“The response of newborn rabbits to the mother's nipple (Hudson and Distel, 1986), referred to above, and the standing response of a receptive female pig to the male's pheromone (Dorries et al., 1997) both depend on the main olfactory system.”
From Human Vomeronasal Organ Function: A Critical Review of Best and Worst Cases (2001) · cites this paper as Hudson and Distel, 1986
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References 30 · Cited by 163
- Authors
- Hudson, R., & Distel, H.
- Affiliations
- Institut für Medizinische Psychologie (DE)
- ORCID
- Hudson, R.
- Venue
- Physiology & Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1986-01
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 123-128
- ISSN
- 0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2029857334
- Cited by
- 163
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 1.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Keywords
- suckling behavior, vomeronasal organ, accessory olfactory system, newborn rabbits, zinc sulfate, lactation, olfactory perception
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Animals, Newborn, Chemoreceptor Cells, Conditioning, Psychological, Female, Nasal Mucosa, Nasal Septum, Olfactory Pathways, Pheromones, Pregnancy, Rabbits, Smell, Sucking Behavior
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