Abstract
Inbred and hybrid mice (N = 720) were tested in an open field to determine elimination differences as a function of inbred group, sex, trials, and illumination condition and to determine mode of inheritance of elimination. A/J, BALB/CJ, and DBA/2J inbred mice were more emotional than C57BL/6J inbred mice, male mice were more emotional than female mice, and emotionality increased as a function of trials. Emotionality was significantly lower for mice tested with dim illumination than for mice tested with bright illumination. Under the condition of bright illumination, the mode of inheritance of emotionality was dominant for both male and female mice, while under the dim illumination condition, the mode of inheritance was dominant for male mice but variable for female mice. The sex differences in mode of inheritance were possibly due to different adaptive functions of the elimination response under the two conditions of illumination. Elimination under bright illumination was possibly related primarily to emotionality, while elimination under dim illumination was possibly related to both emotionality and territorial marking.
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