The Hormonal Control of Ultrasonic Communication in Rodents

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Abstract
SYNOPSIS. The production of high-frequency vocalizations during sexual and agonistic interactions is widespread among rodents. The ubiquity of these signals suggests that they play important roles as social communications in rodent reproduction and population regulation. Furthermore, the consistent association of “ultrasound” production with hormone-dependent sexual andagonistic behaviors suggests that hormones help to coordinate this form of communication with other behavioral and physiological preparations for reproduction. Experiments testing this hypothesis have shown clearly that ultrasound rates depend on gonadal hormones. In addition, the ability of animals to elicit ultrasounds from conspecifics, and their inclination to respond to conspecific ultrasounds, both seem to depend on pituitary or gonadal hormones. This variety of types of hormonal effects on ultrasonic communication increases the extent to which these signals can be integrated with stimuli of other modalities in hormone-dependent chains of communications controlling reproductive success.

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