The Barabensis (cricetulus Barabensis) Aggressive Behavior And Spatial Learning And Memory

Aggressive behavior and spatial learning and memory behavior are two important spacing behaviors in small mammals. Studies on these two spacing behaviors and their relationship are important for us to discuss driving mechanism of some important social behaviors such as dispersal in small mammals.In this paper, Cricetulus barabensis as a kind of solitaria rodent was used as the object animal, and Morris water maze test methods was the first time to be introduced in spatial learning and memory research in the wild small mammals. Studies on the effects of aggressive behavior and sex on spatial learning and memory ability of Cricetulus barabensis were conducted. The main results were as follows.1 Fierce fights occurred between same-sex encounters in laboratory breeding individuals. The subordination individuals defeated in the conflict had mainly defensive behaviors in which escape and avoidance were at a high level, while aggressive behaviors occurred between advantage and subordinate individuals were mainly reflected in the process of chase. There were insignificant differences in aggression frequencies between same-sex encounters in wild caught individuals, which may be related to the capture in low wild population density.2 There were no significant differences in performances in novel environment between dominants and subordinates. In place navigation training, there were no significant differences in spatial learning and memory ability between male dominants and subordinates, while there were significant differences between females. Assay of Morris water maze in female dominants was shorter significantly than that in subordinates on the next day and the third day in spring group, and so was in summer groups on the next day and the fourth day which indicated that spatial learning ability in female dominants was better than that in female subordinates. However, both males and females had no significant differences in spatial memory retention between dominants and subordinates.3 Analysis results of the effects of sex on learning ability showed that female showed a better learning ability than males in lab Cricetulus barabensis in summer group, while the differences were not found in spring group. There were no significant differences between males and females in spatial memory retention, for the time spent in target quadrant and the number across the platform did not show significant differences. In wild capture individuals, there were no significant differences in both learning ability and spatial memory retention.4 Both the males and females captured in spring and winter showed a lower level of adaptation to the new environment than the individuals captured in summer. We found that escape latency of males in spring group was significantly lower than that in summer group in place navigation trials, and this difference was not found in females, while there were no significant differences on place trials in male Cricetulus barabensis captured in spring and winter. Spatial memory retention task showed not significant difference in spatial memory among groups.5 Results of the correlation between different kinds of individual behaviors occurred in novel environment showed that significant positive correlation between sports cell number and times of upright in all groups. There was a significant negative correlation between residence time of the central and the cell number, and so was between residence time of the central and times of upright of in both all females and males only in winter group. The times of upright and the number of fecal grains showed a significant negative correlation in male Cricetulus barabensis captured in spring and winter, while not in summer group.