Abstract

The social interactions of three family groups of rats (Rattus norvegicus) were observed daily when the litters were 25–32, 60–67, and 79–86 days old. In contrast to similar recent studies, fathers were present in these families. The data were analyzed to isolate the development of patterns of behavior specific to different age-sex classes. These data indicate frequent interactions between adult males and their young and suggest that the role of adult males in socialization of young deserves further attention.