Studying other social species may—with caution—give some insight into our own sociality. In one group of mice, some, such as the Meadow Vole, have promiscuous males that are lousy fathers. In the Prairie Vole, however, males tend to be faithful to their mates and care for their pups. Researchers are finding a key difference in the genetic material, the DNA, between the two species.
Near a specific gene involved in the receipt of a brain chemical,
vasopressin, there is a stretch of so-called satellite DNA, DNA that doesn't result
in proteins and that consists of many, short, repeated units. In the unfaithful Meadow
Voles, that satellite DNA is shorter than in Prairie Voles, which also have differences
in satellite length that seem to correlate with the degree of faithful parenthood. The
clincher? When researchers added more copies of the gene to Meadow Vole brains, these
usually promiscuous mice became as faithful as Prairie Voles. Do you suppose that
someday the wedding ceremony will include not only "I do" from the groom, but
an injection of satellite DNA?
Contributor: Arthur H. Harris, Laboratory for Environmental Biology, Centennial Museum, University of Texas at El Paso.
Desert Diary is a joint production of the Centennial Museum and KTEP National Public Radio at the University of Texas at El Paso.