Clark B R, Price E O
J Reprod Fertil. 1981 Sep;63(1):215-20. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0630215.
A population of captive-reared wild Norway rats and two stocks of domestic rats were compared for various parameters of sexual maturation and fecundity. Males did not differ in age at the first appearance of spermatozoa in the testes but wild males were significantly older than Long--Evans and Sprague--Dawley domestic males at first copulation with a hormone-induced oestrous female. Wild females were significantly older than domestic females at the time of vaginal opening, first oestrus and first conception. Stocks did not differ in length of the first oestrous cycle. Wild females produced significantly smaller litters than their domestic counterparts. Domestic rats were significantly heavier than wild rats at the various stages of sexual maturation. The results support the hypothesis that domestication of the rat has been accompanied by genetic and/or environmental changes that accelerate sexual development and improve breeding success under laboratory conditions.
对一群圈养繁殖的野生挪威大鼠和两群家鼠的性成熟和繁殖力的各种参数进行了比较。雄性大鼠在睾丸中首次出现精子时的年龄没有差异，但野生雄性大鼠在与激素诱导发情的雌性大鼠首次交配时，比长 Evans 品系和斯普拉格 - 道利品系的家鼠雄性明显年龄更大。野生雌性大鼠在阴道开口、首次发情和首次受孕时比家鼠雌性明显年龄更大。各品系在第一个发情周期的时长上没有差异。野生雌性大鼠产仔数明显少于家鼠雌性。在性成熟的各个阶段，家鼠比野生大鼠明显更重。结果支持了这样的假设，即大鼠的驯化伴随着遗传和/或环境变化，这些变化加速了性发育并提高了在实验室条件下的繁殖成功率。
