He chose rodents as these reproduce rapidly thus allowing him to observe the development of several generations of mice in a relatively short space of time.Ĭalhoun and his researchers found that in a space-limited/resource unlimited environment, the population of mice would explode peak-out and then collapse to extinction. This test was replicated several times and it was found that these led to the same outcome each time. The reason for this phenomenon was found to derived from social decay which worsened with each generation.
#MICE UTOPIA EXPERIMENT SERIES#
They were dubbed "the beautiful ones." Breeding never resumed and behavior patterns were permanently changed.In 1950, an American ethologist named John Calhoun created a series of experiments to test the effects of overpopulation on the behaviour of social animals. The animals which Calhoun chose for his experiments where mice (and later on rats). Sleek, healthy coats and an absence of scars characterized these males.
They ate, drank, slept, and groomed themselves all solitary pursuits. Their male counterparts withdrew completely, never engaging in courtship or fighting and only engaging in tasks that were essential to their health. During this period females ceased to reproduce. After day 600, the social breakdown continued and the population declined toward extinction. When che popularion sterted declining beautiful ones were spared violence and death, but had complezely last couch with seeial behaviors, including having sex or caring far their young. Somedimes they'd drap and abandon baby while were carrying The few secluded spaces housed population Calhoun called, "the Generally guarded by one male, the females-and few males-inside che space breed or fight or do anything but eat and groom and sleep. They'd move half cheir liner away from danger and forget dhe rest. females carried preqnanctes to and dhe ones dhat did seemed simply forget about cheir babies. They gathered in che main squares, waiting to be fed and occasionally attacking each ouher. Number of mice in John Calhoun mouse utopia experiment last born [~600 total self-extinction OED (OAG) 4 At the peak population, most mice spene every living second in the company of hundreds of other mice. Scientists extrapolate this model to humans on earth. Once a tipping point was reached, the mice lost instinctual behaviors. The colony peaked at 2200 and from there declined to extinction.
23.3K 1.3K There was a man-made mouse utopia called Universe 25. They were dubbed "the beautiful ones." Breeding never resumed and behavior patterns were permanently changed. There was a man-made mouse utopia called Universe 25.
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