Article: In Vole's world, monogamy is inherited, researchers find.(The Hartford Courant)

Byline: John Jurgensen

HARTFORD, Conn. _ Commitment is a curious thing. What transforms a stranger into a lifelong friend, confidante or lover? And just as intriguing, what prevents some people from building such bonds?

The answers could hinge on a genetic trait in the pleasure center of the brain, say scientists who study the social and sexual habits of a mousy creature called a vole.

These animals, like humans, are among the fewer than 5 percent of mammals that form monogamous bonds. But what makes voles interesting to researchers is that not all of them prefer to settle down.

The meadow vole is a rodent that gets around. After sex, ...

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