The social hierarchy in albino mice.
Abstract
Daily observations of the social behavior of more than 300 male and approximately 150 female white mice, arranged in 85 groups of various sizes and composition, yielded the following results: 1. Fighting was very common among males, but relatively rare among females or between the sexes. 2. The most common type of social order found among the males was exclusive domination of the group by one individual. Occasionally several other distinct kinds of hierarchies were recognized. 3. Permanence of a given order lasted from a few days to several months. 4. The amount and severity of fighting varied considerably in different groups and in the same pen at different times. 5. Among adult males little or no correlation was apparent between the social order and such factors as weight, age, and reaction to females. 6. Blinding did not seriously interfere with the fighting behavior, while castration seemed to decrease the pugnacious tendencies of some, but not all males. 7. Fighting began among males on the average at the age of 50 days and either gradually or abruptly gave rise to a definite hierarchy.
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Social dominance can be reliably found in mice kept in captivity, both laboratory mice and wild ones.
“Keeping this limitation in mind, social dominance can be reliably found in mice kept in captivity.This is true both for laboratory mice 72,92,96,135,136 and wild ones.80,137”
From Ecological validity of social interaction tests in rats and mice (2019) · cites this paper as [135]
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- Authors
- Uhrich, J.
- Corresponding author
- Uhrich, J.
- Venue
- Journal of Comparative Psychology
- Published
- 1938-04
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 373-413
- ISSN
- 0093-4127 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2003093078
- Cited by
- 187
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 17.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of comparative psychology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Keywords
- social hierarchy, dominance hierarchy, albino mice, white mice, male-male aggression, sex differences in aggression, blind mice, castration, group composition
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