Mate Choice in Mice is Heavily Influenced by Paternal Cues, Max Planck Institute Study

Hybrid offspring of different house mice populations show a preference for mating with individuals from their father's original population. Mate choice is a key factor in the evolution of new animal species. The choice of a specific mate can decisively influence the evolutionary development of a species. In mice, the attractiveness of a potential mate is conveyed by scent cues and ultrasonic vocalizations.