Male mice recognize male-emitted ultrasonic vocalizations in a two-choice test via oxytocin signaling

Social behaviors rely on the integration of multiple sensory cues. Among these, ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) serve as primary auditory cues in rodents. Although the function of USVs has been extensively studied in pup-female and male-female interactions, their role in male-male interactions remain to be elucidated. We tested whether adult male mice recognize male-emitted USVs as social cues using a two-choice playback paradigm. We demonstrated that male mice preferred male-emitted USVs and that oxytocin signaling is essential for perceiving male-emitted USVs. This study provides new insights into the neural mechanisms of male-male social behavior.