PSY398H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Eutheria, Precocial, Prolactin
Document Summary
Parental behavior: by male paternal behavior, by female maternal behavior. Introduction: any behavior contributing to survival of offspring, as critical a reproductive behavior as copulation, extremely variable by species, fish no parental care, mammals very high parental care. In mammals, varies by offspring development: monotremes (platypus) lay eggs, marsupials (kangaroo) embryonic at birth, eutherian mammals ( true mammals) 3 patterns. Eutherian mammals: semi-precocial young in between, relatively helpless, but can cling, some thermoregulation, primates. Components of prenatal care: carrying, cleaning, nursing, nest building, protection, gathering food, direct parental care, indirect parental care. Pups are rewarding to new mothers: motherswillbarpressfor pups, whereas virgin rats will not, rewardingpropertiesof pups can be blocked with administration of dopamine antagonists. Parabiotic studies (1960s-70s: circulatory systems conjoined, virgins connected to pregnant/lactating females evidence that blood-born factors involved. Prolactin: milk production (infusion into mpoa can induce maternal behavior rapidly) Oxytocin: uterine contractions & milk letdown (central administration can induce.
