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Pregnancy Block from a Female Perspective

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Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 11

Abstract

Within a limited time after mating, exposure of female rodents to the scent of an unfamiliar conspecific male results in pregnancy termination. Since its discovery in mice, pregnancy block (or the ‘Bruce Effect’) has been confirmed in several other murine and microtine rodent species. Adaptive explanations for this behaviour have traditionally focused on advantages to the blocking male, but the suggested benefits to females remain controversial. Consideration of potential female benefits and the implications of female advantage in pregnancy block suggest that this behaviour could evolve with little or no reference to male advantage, and may represent a potential reproductive cost to stud males.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Preclinical Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston CH64 7TE, USA

    Stuart D. Becker

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  1. Stuart D. Becker
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  2. Jane L. Hurst
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Preclinical Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston CH64 7TE, UK

    Jane L. Hurst

  2. Department of Veterinary Preclinical Science, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZJ, UK

    Robert J. Beynon

  3. School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK

    S. Craig Roberts

  4. Office of Distance and Online Learning, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 7DD, UK

    Tristram D. Wyatt

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Becker, S.D., Hurst, J.L. (2008). Pregnancy Block from a Female Perspective. In: Hurst, J.L., Beynon, R.J., Roberts, S.C., Wyatt, T.D. (eds) Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 11. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-73945-8_13

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