Social influences on parental and nonparental responses toward pups in virgin female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)

Pair-bonded prairie votes (Microtus ochrogaster) are biparental after the b irth of pups. However, whereas most adult virgin males are parental, most v irgin females are not. In 6 experiments, influences on the parental behavio r of virgin female prairie votes were examined. It was found that (a) young virgin females were more maternal than older females, (b) the postweaning sex ratio of cage-mates did not affect females' responses to pups, (c) fema les raised to adulthood with their parents and younger siblings present wer e highly parental, (d) 48-hr exposure to pups beginning at weaning increase d some aspects of later maternal responding, (e) rearing to adulthood with the parents even in the absence of younger siblings also increased females' maternal responding, and (f) the increase was seen only if both parents we re present. Continued parental presence promotes alloparental behavior, pos sibly important if daughters do not disperse from the natal nest.