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.