Long-term behavioral effects of social separation during early life in a social mammal, Octodon degus.

ABSTRACT: Social separation is thought to induce a strong stress response in social juvenile mammals, but little is known about how this response might vary throughout the development. The present study examines the long-term effects of early-life stress (ELS) induced by social separation on individual behaviors later in life using the social and precocious species Octodon degus. Four experimental groups were established a positive control group of mothers and siblings from six litters comprised the socially housed (SH) group, while pups from seven litters were randomly assigned to three treatments: pups experiencing no separation (NS) treatment while their siblings did; repeated bouts of consecutive separation (CS); intermittent separation (IS). We analyzed the effects of separation treatment on th

SUBMITTER: Ukyo R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10261089 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature