The Effect of the RD Locus upon the Agonistic Behavior of Mice

The agonistic behavior of three genetically blind inbred mice, inbred mice. SJL/J, CBA/J, C3HeB/FeJ were compared with that of normal-sighted mice, C57BL/6J, C57BR/cdJ and BALB/cJ. During the 6th day of training with a dangling method, the blind mice were less aggressive than the normal animals. It was concluded that the homozygous recessive rd, locus leading to blindness may affect the organization of- agonistic behavior in mice. The genetic factors that may affect the agonistic behavior of mice are (1) selection, (b) strain differences, (c) sex differences and (d) single genes. The first three factors have been investigated by several individuals (Fredericson, 1952; Lagerspetz, 1964; Scott, 1942 and 1966; Southwick and Clark, 1968; White, Mayo and Edwards, 1969); however the fourth factor has not been studied to any great extent, though it has been investigated in other behavioral phenotypes (Fuller, 1967; Thiessen, 1970; Wilcock, 1969).