Mouse nose nerve cells mature after birth, allowing bonding, recognition with mother
Friday, March 11, 2011 - 20:20
in Biology & Nature
For rodent pups, bonding with mom isn't hard-wired in the womb. It develops over the first few weeks of life, which is achieved by their maturing sense of smell, possibly allowing these mammals a survival advantage by learning to identify mother, siblings, and home. Blending electrophysiological, biochemical and behavioral experiments, researchers demonstrated that neurons in the noses of mice mature after birth.
