Do olfactory cues from males with different avpr1a genotypes affect female mate choice in prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster?

Multiple hypotheses have been proposed to explain female mate choice and some of the mechanisms underlying these choices. Females prairie voles display social and mating preferences for males with longer avpr1a microsatellite alleles, which provide more paternal care and exhibit less interest in novel females compared to males with shorter avpr1a microsatellite alleles. The cues females use to differentiate among males with different avpr1a genotypes are unknown, so the objective of our study was to determine if females can discriminate among males with different avpr1a genotypes using only male olfactory cues. In a laboratory choice test, females simultaneously presented with soiled bedding from a male with short versus long avpr1a microsatellite alleles showed no significant difference in the total time spent investigating each type of bedding. Nor did a greater number of females spend more time investigating soiled bedding from males with short versus long avpr1a microsatellite alleles. These findings were not influenced by female estrous status or their own avpr1a genotype. Our results suggest olfactory cues alone are insufficient to explain a female's ability to discriminate between males with different avpr1a genotypes and future research should focus on different cues or a combination of cues.