Skip Navigation

American Zoologist 1974 14(1):341-370; doi:10.1093/icb/14.1.341
© 1974 by The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by WILSON, S. C.
Right arrow Articles by KLEIMAN, D. G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Eliciting Play: A Comparative Study

(Octodon, Octodontomys, Pediolagus, Phoca, Chocropsis, Ailuropoda)

SUSAN C. WILSON and DEVRA G. KLEIMAN
National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution Washington, D. C. 20009

The social play behavior of six mammalian species (Rodentia, Pinnipedia, Artiodactyla, Carnivora) is described and compared. Locomotor and Rotational Movements, e.g., jumping, running, and headshaking, occurred in all species and predominated in the rodent play. These movements are similar in form to anti-predator and "protective" responses and result in an immediate but temporary cessation of sensory stimulation from conspecifics.

Investigation of body odors was the most important stimulus eliciting Locomotor-Rotational Movements in the rodents. In the larger mammals, body odor sniffing was enhanced during play, but specialized signals from other sensory modalities elicited and maintained play interactions. The possible functions of a heightened exchange of olfactory information during juvenile social development are discussed.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.