Effect of maternal environment on the behavior of inbred mice.

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Abstract
186 inbred mice of 2 different strains, reared from birth until weaning by foster mothers of either their own or the other strain, were weighed at 0,3,6, and 9 wk. of age. Open-field activity, hole-in-wall latency, water-escape latency, barrier-climbing activity, and defecation were measured at 7-10 wk. of age. Growth and behavior of Ss [subjects] reared by alien foster mothers tended to resemble that of the alien strain and differed significantly from that of comparable Ss reared by foster mothers of their own strain. Data support the hypothesis that, in addition to differences in genotype, systematic differences in maternal environment influence strain-specific patterns of growth and behavior.