DEMONSTRATION OF A SOCIALLY TRANSMITTED TASTE-AVERSION IN THE RAT

Observer rats were allowed to Interact for 15 min with 2 conspecific d emonstrators, 1 that had been fed a cocoa-flavored diet and 1 that had been fed a cinnamon-flavored diet. One of the demonstrators had been made ill immeadiately following ingestion of its diet. The observer ra ts were then presented with the cocoa-flavored and cinnamon-flavored d iets for 22 h. The observer rats consumed significantly less of the il l demonstrator's diet than of the healthy demonstrator's diet. This fi nding suggests that, under some conditions, rats can acquire a sociall y transmitted taste aversion.