ABSTRACT
In mammals, the female is highly suited to caring for her young without the involvement of the father. However, in about 5% of mammalian genera, fathers provide care for their youngs. Parental behavior includes both maternal and paternal behavior, and both behaviors have the function of ensuring the survival of the offspring. Studies conducted in rodents, mainly in laboratory rats, have shown that parental behavior is regulated at different levels; hormonal, neural, and sensory. Hormones, such as testosterone, estradiol, dihydrotestosterone, progesterone, prolactin, and the neuropeptides, oxytocin, and arginine-vasopressin, are involved in the regulation of parental behavior. The neural circuit that regulates parental behavior is mainly integrated by the medial preoptic area, the bed nucleus of stria terminalis, anterior hypothalamic nucleus, ventromedial hypothalamic, periaqueductal gray, medial amygdala, and olfactory bulb. For parental behavior to be performed, it is necessary that parents recognize their pups and establish physical proximity required for the execution of this type of care.The mechanisms involved in recognition vary according to species, but these mechanisms can involve sensory stimuli, such as vision, hearing, taste, touch, and smell.
