Female house mice do not differ in their exploratory behaviour from males

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F68081766%3A_____%2F16%3A00458476" target="_blank" >RIV/68081766:_____/16:00458476 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/67985904:_____/16:00458518

Result on the web

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/eth.12462" target="_blank" >http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/eth.12462</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/eth.12462" target="_blank" >10.1111/eth.12462</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Female house mice do not differ in their exploratory behaviour from males

Original language description

Dispersal is an important ecological trait affecting genetic variation and dynamics of populations. Hence, the exploratory behaviour prior to actual dispersal may be crucial for potentially dispersing individuals. In mammals, females are traditionally seen as the more philopatric sex and dispersal as male-biased behaviour, and so behavioural strategies related to the exploration of novel resources should be differentially expressed in males and females. In addition, due to sexual selection exploratory strategies may be expected to vary according to females’ reproductive phase. We employed a standard open-field test as an approximation of the first phase of dispersal, using adult house mice representing two subspecies, M. m. musculus and M. m. domesticus. We tested the prediction that exploration of neutral area varies in females during different phases of the oestrus cycle and is different between both sexes and subspecies. We expected to find higher exploration in males, as the more dispersing sex and less pronounced subspecies-specific differences in females than in males. We found no significant effect of the oestrous phase on any of the parameters of the exploratory behaviour measured. Sexual dimorphism was found only in latency to enter the arena in M. m. domesticus where females hesitated longer to enter a new area than males. Significant subspecies-specific differences were found in three of four tested exploration parameters, so we conclude that females of both subspecies follow similar strategies to those displayed by males. Musculus mice show shorter latency to enter a new area, but once inside, domesticus mice explore the arena significantly longer, with less frequent retreats to a shelter. Our results thus highlight that the role of female dispersal in interdemic gene flow should not be neglected.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_x - Unclassified - Peer-reviewed scientific article (Jimp, Jsc and Jost)

CEP classification

EG - Zoology

OECD FORD branch

—

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2016

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Ethology

ISSN

0179-1613

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

122

Issue of the periodical within the volume

4

Country of publishing house

DE - GERMANY

Number of pages

10

Pages from-to

298-307

UT code for WoS article

000372264800003

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-84959516882