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Female Mongolian gerbils scent marked more frequently in response to scent marks deposited by adult male conspecifics that, as fetuses, had resided in intrauterine positions between two male fetuses (2M males) than in response to scent marks deposited by adult male conspecifics that had resided in intrauterine positions between two females fetuses (2F males). Because 2M male gerbils are significantly more likely than are 2F male gerbils to impregnate females, and because female gerbils are able to discriminate among males after exposure to their scent marks, the ability of female gerbils to discriminate scent marks of 2M males from those of 2F males may serve as a basis for female identification of males likely to make suitable mates

Ability. --- Adult. --- Conspecific. --- Discriminate. --- Exposure. --- Female choice. --- Female mongolian gerbils. --- Female. --- Females. --- Fetuses. --- Gerbil. --- Gerbils. --- Identification. --- Intrauterine position. --- Intrauterine positions. --- Male conspecifics. --- Male. --- Males. --- Meriones-unguiculatus. --- Mongolian gerbil. --- Mongolian gerbils. --- Mongolian-gerbil. --- Position. --- Positions. --- Response. --- Scent marking. --- Scent. --- Time.

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The presence of alloparents in cooperatively breeding groups may enhance the reproductive performance of the breeding pair but tests of this hypothesis in mammalian cooperative breeders have typically examined short periods in the reproductive life span of breeders. The present experiment was designed to evaluate the long-term effects of the presence of alloparents on reproductive performance under laboratory conditions in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus), and to evaluate the possibility that alloparents may attempt independent reproduction during their tenure as alloparents. Pairs were established with either 0 or 4 alloparents and breeding performance was monitored over a 13.5-month period. The presence of alloparents did not enhance reproductive rates in breeding pairs, and neither enhanced nor delayed developmental rates in offspring. Variation in litter size, offspring survival, pup growth, and interbirth interval did not vary significantly as a function of the breeding females' reproductive tenure. Seven of 49 female alloparents of breeding age in family groups produced offspring. Alloparent breeding was associated with long interbirth intervals in the breeding adult female. Neonatal survival in litters born to alloparents was higher in litters that were temporally synchronized with litters produced by the older breeding female than in asynchronously produced litters. Under the conditions in this experiment, then, few indirect benefits accrue to helpers as a consequence of their alloparental effort, and immediate (the opportunity for independent reproductive attempts) and delayed (parental skills acquisition) direct benefits may account for helping behavior in this species

Acquisition. --- Adult. --- Age. --- Alloparental care. --- Alloparents. --- Behavior. --- Breeding. --- Cooperative breeding. --- Experiment. --- Female. --- Females. --- Function. --- Gerbil. --- Gerbils. --- Group. --- Growth. --- Helping behavior. --- Laboratory. --- Life history. --- Life. --- Lifetime fitness. --- Litter size. --- Long-term. --- Meriones unguiculatus. --- Meriones-unguiculatus. --- Mongolian gerbil. --- Mongolian gerbils. --- Mongolian-gerbil. --- Neonatal. --- Parental behavior. --- Performance. --- Periods. --- Reproduction. --- Size. --- Survival. --- Test. --- Tests. --- Time. --- Unguiculatus. --- Variation. --- Vary.