Social interactions are a ubiquitous feature of the lives of vertebrate species. These may be
cooperative or competitive, and shape the dynamics of social systems, with profound effects …

Vertebrates respond to a diversity of stressors by rapidly elevating glucocorticoid (GC)
levels. The changes in physiology and behavior triggered by this response can be crucial for …

Social isolation is considered a stressful situation that results in increased physiological
reactivity to novel stimuli, altered behaviour, and impaired brain function. Here, we …

We report the results of a 6-year study of social (number of adult males/females, relatedness
of females, communal litter size) and ecological (mean/CV of food abundance, soil …

Long-term parental separation can lead to altered behavioral and physical development in
human children. Rodent models are popular for studying parent–child separation, and …

During early life, disruption of the parent-offspring bond can substantially impact
development of offspring physiology and behavior. In rodents, it has been well-documented …

In pregnant females, a failed predatory event not only induces individual responses but also
represents a significant change in the developmental environment of the offspring, which …

Abstract The Common Degu (Octodon degus) is a small rodent endemic to central Chile. It
has become an important model for comparative vertebrate endocrinology because of …

Recent research in behavioural ecology has revealed the structure of animal personality
and connections to ecologically and evolutionarily important traits. Personality is …

Maternal stress and care significantly affect offspring's future behavior and physiology.
Studies in laboratory rats have shown that maternal stress decreases maternal care and that …