A history of the behavior program at the Jackson laboratory: an overview

The behavior program at the Jackson laboratory in Bar Harbor, ME, flourished from 1945 through the late 1960s and was unique in the history of comparative psychology. The canine project was conducted on ~300 dogs of five purebred breeds reared under controlled conditions and tested on a predetermined schedule. This enabled a detailed study of genetic and environmental effects and their interaction as well as a variety of other problems in midsized mammals. I provide a comprehensive, though brief, overview of the origins, development, operation, and decline of the program. Although it was begun within a genetic framework, the role of both genetic and experiential influences came to be emphasized. An important additional part of the program entailed extensive studies of inbred strains of house mice (Mus musculus) and of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). The work at the Jackson Laboratory had a significant impact on various aspects of comparative psychology.