Population size, social behaviour, and dispersal in house mice: A quantitative investigation

Abstract An experimental study was conduced to examine some relationships between population size, social behaviour, and dispersal utilizing wild genotype Mus musculus in seminatural enclosures. Groups of male and female mice were used to simulate natural populations. The results indicate that male territoriality occurred significantly more often in populations of greater size but equal density, and these groups demonstrated a significantly greater rate of agonistic interactions per animal when compared to smaller populations. No significant differences were observed for other categories of social interaction. The percentage of animals emigrating and the population density following emigration were the same in small and large groups.

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