Abstract
In complex social environments, individuals may interact with not only novel and familiar conspecifics but also kin and non-kin. The ability to distinguish between conspecific identities is crucial for most animals, yet how the brain processes conspecific type and how animals may alter behavior accordingly is not well known. We examined whether the communally breeding spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) responds differently to conspecifics that vary in novelty and kinship. In a group interaction test, we found that males can distinguish novel kin from novel non-kin, and preferentially spend time with novel kin over familiar kin and novel non-kin. To determine whether kinship and novelty status are differentially represented in the brain, we conducted immediate early gene tests, which revealed the dorsal, but not ventral, lateral septum differentially processes kinship. Neither region differentially processes social novelty. Further, males did not exhibit differences in prosocial behavior toward novel and familiar conspecifics but exhibited more prosocial behavior with novel kin than novel non-kin. These results suggest that communally breeding species may have evolved specialized neural circuitry to facilitate a bias to be more affiliative with kin, regardless of whether they are novel or familiar, potentially to promote prosocial behaviors, thereby facilitating group cohesion.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | 17040 |
Journal | Scientific Reports |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2023, Springer Nature Limited.
Funding
We would like to acknowledge funding from the Klingenstein-Simons Foundation (Fellowship Award in Neuroscience to AMK), the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (R01AR070313 to AWS), and the National Science Foundation (IOS-1353713 to AWS; IOS-2310626 to AMK). BAF was supported by the Department of Defense (DoD) through the National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Program.
Funders | Funder number |
---|---|
Klingenstein-Simons Foundation | |
National Science Foundation (NSF) | IOS-2310626, IOS-1353713 |
U.S. Department of Defense | |
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases | R01AR070313 |
Center for Selective C-H Functionalization, National Science Foundation | |
Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing, National Science Foundation | |
National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General