Monogamous mice

Scientists claim to have identified the genetic basis for monogamy which could lead to a better understanding of psychiatric disorders. Tom Insel and Larry Young from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia transferred a gene from the sociable, monogamous male prairie vole into male mice.

The gene is responsible for making a protein in the brain that responds to a hormone called vasopressin which has been shown to play a role in communication, aggression and social memory. The researchers report that the transgenic mice would spend significantly more time with a female sexual partner and would exhibit less aggression towards other males. The location of the receptors in the brain - which differs in every species examined so far - is thought to affect how most animals interact.

The scientists intend to study the role of vasopressin in humans because such research could be clinically relevant for the treatment of autism, schizophrenia and Tourette's syndrome - all of which are characterised by isolation and detachment.