Skip to main content
Log in

Response to 30 generations of selection for open-field activity in laboratory mice

  • Published:
Behavior Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

High and low lines resulting from 30 generations of bidirectional selection for open-field activity have nonoverlapping distributions and more than a thirtyfold difference in mean activity. Open-field defecation scores of lowactive lines are approximately 7 times higher than those of high-active lines, substantiating earlier reports of a large, negative genetic correlation between these characters. Since the selection experiment is replicated, other variables which are found to be reliably different among the high, control, and low lines are likely to be causally related to open-field activity; thus these selected lines of mice may be of use to other investigators.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Archer, J. (1975). the Maudsley reactive and nonreactive strains of rats: The need for an objective evaluation of differences.Behav. Genet. 5:411–413.

    Google Scholar 

  • Broadhurst, P. L. (1975). The Maudsley reactive and nonreactive strains of rats: A survey.Behav. Genet. 5:299–319.

    Google Scholar 

  • Broadhurst, P. L. (1976). The Maudsley reactive and nonreactive strains of rats: A clarification.Behav. Genet. 6:363–365.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeFries, J. C. (1967). Quantitative genetics and behavior: Overview and perspective. In Hirsch, J. (ed.),Behavior-Genetic Analysis, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 322–339.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeFries, J. C., and Hegmann, J. P. (1970). Genetic analysis of open-field behavior. In Lindzey, G., and Thiessen, D. D. (eds.),Contributions to Behavior-Genetic Analysis: The Mouse as a Prototype, Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, pp. 23–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeFries, J. C., and Plomin, R. (1978). Behavioral genetics.Ann. Rev. Psychol. 29: in press.

  • DeFries, J. C., Hegmann, J. P., and Weir, M. W. (1966). Open-field behavior in mice: Evidence for a major gene effect mediated by the visual system.Science 154:1577–1579.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeFries, J. C., Hegmann, J. P., and Halcomb, R. A. (1974). Response to 20 generations of selection for open-field activity in mice.Behav. Biol. 11:481–495.

    Google Scholar 

  • Falconer, D. S. (1960).Introduction to Quantitative Genetics, Ronald Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

This investigation was supported in part by NIMH Training Grant MH-11167.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

DeFries, J.C., Gervais, M.C. & Thomas, E.A. Response to 30 generations of selection for open-field activity in laboratory mice. Behav Genet 8, 3–13 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067700

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067700

Key Words

Navigation