Abstract

Describes work by S. V. Stepansky of Novosibirsk Science City, Siberia. Adult male mice residing in the same cage were separated into 2 groups; one group was starved and the other received normal rations. The latter group ate more than usual and their average weight increased as if they were being remotely influenced by the hunger of former companions even though they were separated by a distance which prevented normal communication. A later control experiment in which separated groups received normal amounts of food did not produce a weight difference. Replication studies also disclosed a decline effect in the overeating behavior with repeated experimentation, although before this took place the mice had increased their weight by an average of 11.5 g.