How early life experience shapes mate preference in female mice

Mate choice is an evolutionary process with a profound impact in species morphology, behavioural displays and overall success. We are interested in understanding the proximate mechanisms underlying the assortative mate choice exhibited by Mus musculus musculus females when given a choice between a male of their own subspecies and a male from the closely related subspecies, Mus musculus domesticus. Previous results from our laboratory suggest that this assortative preference is modulated by early life experience. Because mice rely primarily on olfactory cues for communication, our hypothesis is that M. m. musculus females are using an olfactory imprinting process in early life to establish their mating preferences. To understand which cues are important for this learning, we manipulated different elements of the mice’s social context within the first weeks of life, such as the presence of the father. We also used classical conditioning with artificial odours to alter the olfactory experience of M. m. musculus females during post-natal development. We found the father’s presence during M. m. musculus female’s upbringing to be irrelevant in the establishment of the female’s assortative preferences. Moreover, the early olfactory experience also seems to have no influence in the establishment of these preferences.