Genetic Analysis of Open Field Behavior in Swine

Abstract

OPEN field score is a measure of animal behavior which has a continuously varying expression (phenotype) in a population. It is a count of the number of squares, marked on the floor, over which an animal moves in a fixed time period when in an enclosed strange situation for the first time. This paper describes a study of open field score of swine. Open field score was derived from work with rats and mice. The typical open field for laboratory animals consists of an enclosed area with uniform solid walls, and a flat floor marked off into equal-sized units. Usually a bright light, and sometimes noise, is present to increase the anxiety produced by unfamiliar environment.