根田鼠母体摄食经历对幼体食物选择的影响

Effects of foraging experience of root vole maternity on food selection of offspring

社会学习是动物的一种可塑性行为表型,能使动物个体获得提高其适合度的行为模式。母体对幼体的食性形成具有重要的影响。本文以栖息于青藏高原的根田鼠作为研究对象,在实验室条件下,根田鼠母体怀孕后期及哺乳期分别供给以0.01%糖精或0.1%橘子汁处理的食物,当幼体断乳时,同时供给断乳幼体糖精和橘子汁分别处理的食物,测定其食物选择。结果表明:根田鼠母体在怀孕期和哺乳期摄食经橘子汁处理的食物,断乳幼体在同时供给经橘子汁处理的食物和糖精处理的食物时,断乳幼体喜食经橘子汁处理的食物;而母体在怀孕期和哺乳期摄食经糖精处理的食物,断乳幼体在同时供给根田鼠断乳幼体经橘子汁处理和糖精处理的食物时,断乳幼体喜食经糖精处理的食物。说明根田鼠在断乳后仍喜食母体在怀孕期和哺乳期摄食过的食物种类。根田鼠栖息于季节性变化剧烈的环境中,幼体通过母体尽早学习食物选择是一种可塑性表型方式,利于其获得适应栖息地的行为模式。

Social learning is a phenotype of plastic behavior of animals, which enables the individuals to acquire adaptive behavior patterns suitable for local habitats. However, the transmission of food preference from vole maternity to its offspring has largely been ignored. Taking the root vole in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau as test object, a laboratory experiment was conducted, with the foods treated with 0.01% glucide or 0.1% fruit juice supplied to the vole maternity during its late pregnancy period and lactation, and to the offspring after weaned, aimed to observe the food preferences of the offspring. The results demonstrated that the weaned voles preferred the food items that their mothers had during pregnancy and lactation. Root vole lived in the environment with dramatic seasonal variation, and, for the weaned voles, learning the food preferences of their mothers was a phenotype of plastic behavior, being advantageous to acquire the adaptive behavior patterns suitable for local habitats.