Formation of lateralization of manipulatory food-procuring behavior in the white rat early ontogenesis

Study of peculiarities of formation of preference in use of one of forepaws at learning of the manipulatory food-procuring skill has been carried out at different stages of early ontogenesis of white rats. It was established that as early as at the 3-week age the rat pups were already able to learn getting food from a narrow test-tube; however, no expressed preference in using one of the extremities was revealed. After repeated testing of adult rats at the age of 4 months the number of ambidexters was significantly higher than in the control animal group. At learning of the 30-day old rat pups of this manipulatory skill, in the majority of the rat pups, no significant lateralization also was found in using the forepaw. At repeated testing of adult rats the amount of ambidexters did not differ from that in the control group of animals. The obtained results indicate the existence of critical periods in formation of lateral preference in performance of the manipulatory food-procuring skill. There also was shown effect of learning in early ontogenesis of the capability for lateralization of this skill in the adult state in rats.