ANOGENITAL DISTANCE AND DOMINANCE STATUS IN MALE HOUSE MICE (MUS-DOMESTICUS)

Factors influencing the tendency to be aggressive were investigated in male house mice using a series of paired encounters, Body size, body length, body temperature, age, and anogenital distance were measured o n all males, Paired encounters were conducted using a standard mouse c age as an arena, Across 64 males involved in 224 encounters, the tende ncy to be dominant and win encounters was significantly correlated onl y with anogenital distance (r = 0.383), These findings suggest that th ere are significant behavioral effects in male mice that could paralle l the intrauterine position and related prenatal hormone effects that have been elucidated in female house mice and other rodents. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.