Development and expression of autogrooming in the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus.

Adult gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, autogroom their body parts in the order: mouth--nose, face, ears, flank, ventrum, and tail. This is the identical order in which the autogroom matures during the first 33 days of life. The parallel sequencing increases our understanding of neurophysiological processes underlying movement patterns and also indicates how movement patterns evolve.