The roots of territorial marking in the Mongolian gerbil: A problem of species-common topography

Abstract

The Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) has recently been introduced into behavioral research. Many features make it an ideal laboratory animal. It is docile, highly exploratory, a good learner, virtually odorless and can be maintained without water; other than that it metabolizes from its food. General characteristics of the gerbil are described, and a brief review of behavioral research is given. The gerbil also possesses unique attributes that can only be studied by matching experimental methodology with species-common responses. Territorial marking is used as example. The gerbil regularly marks objects in an open field by skimming the object with a midventral sebaceous scent gland. The marking and gland are dimorphic, with the male marking about twice as frequently as the female and possessing a gland roughly twice the size. The configuration of the field (object quality) modifies the frequency of the response, as does the time of day the animals are exposed to the field. Androgen levels control the level of marking in the male and female, and the correlations between testis weight, size of the sebaceous gland, secretory output and marking frequency are significant. When a gerbil is introduced into an open field recently contaminated by another gerbil, or when objects are smeared with sebum and placed in the field, the male tends to be more hesitant in several types of behavior. The laboratory measures are internally consistent and congruous with the notion that natural selection has acted to reinforce a hormone-behavior relation of social significance to the gerbil. © 1968 Psychonomic Society, Inc.