Elsevier

Physiology & Behavior

Volume 26, Issue 6, June 1981, Pages 1133-1136
Physiology & Behavior

A simple method of olfactory discrimination of urines for the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus

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Abstract

Olfactory discrimination in gerbils can be reliably assessed by measuring changes in rearing toward an odor. After the frequency of rearing stabilizes during a non-odor period, the introduction of a urinary odor through a ceiling aperture quickly produced an increase in rearing frequency and duration. Rearing then habituated during the odor presentation period but recurred at high levels if a new urinary odor was introduced. This pattern of rearing was robust enough to allow for the testing of three urinary odors during a single 24-min test period. Preliminary work suggests that the procedure is equally sensitive with different odors, can be adapted for use with other rodents, and may provide additional information about differential investigation of urinary odors. The simplicity, reliability, and brevity of this method makes it a potentially important tool for olfactory research.

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This research was supported by NIMH grant, MH 14076-14, awarded to D. D. T. This work was done in partial fulfillment of the Ph.D. requirements at the University of Texas by Barbara Gregg. Portions of this work was presented at the 1980 meeting of the Association of Chemoreception Science, Sarasota, Florida.

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