The effect of demonstrator age and number on duration of socially-induced food preferences in house mouse (Mus domesticus)

Present research was undertaken to investigate whether the transfer of food preference from a demonstrator mouse to an observer can be influenced by their relative age. In experiment 1 an adult female mouse, the observer, was allowed to interact with a recently-fed demonstrator which was a pup of her litter or an adult female mouse. The observer was then tested to assess whether it acquired a preference for the demonstrator's diet. The results showed that a pup demonstrator's influence on an adult's food preference is shorter-lasting than an adult demonstrator's influence. Experiment 2 was aimed to investigate whether many demonstrators have an additive effect in influencing their observer's choice. The results indicated that multiple pup demonstrations do not increase longevity of food preferences induced by pup demonstrators. Moreover, the longevity of an adult observer's preference for its demonstrator's food is reduced by the exposure to multiple adult demonstrators. Results are discussed in terms of demonstrator's reliability and of social constraints that could affect social transfer of food information in the house mouse. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.