Abstract
A brief review of the relevant literature indicates that familiarization is the primary (and possibly sole) proximate mechanism mediating the development of sibling recognition in muroid rodents. Littermates that are raised together are discriminated from unfamiliar agemates. Previously unencountered kin may be recognized through their resemblance to familiar relatives (a process ofindirect familiarization). A recent experiment with spiny mice reveals that phenotypic similarity among full siblings can be discerned by other conspecifics, even those that are not their kin. Olfactory signatures involved in social recognition are the product of a complex interaction between genotypic and environmental components.
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Preparation of this paper was supported in part by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Grant HD-15051.
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Porter, R.H. The ontogeny of sibling recognition in rodents: Superfamily muroidea. Behav Genet 18, 483–494 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065516
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065516