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Article: Monogamy likely a genetic trait, research into voles shows.
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- June 20, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: John Fauber
MILWAUKEE _ Forget couples therapy, the secret to marital fidelity appears to be gene therapy.
Using that high-tech approach, scientists say they have transformed promiscuous male meadow voles, which have a reputation as the Casanovas of the vole world, into monogamous creatures that willingly stand by their mates.
The research, which appeared Thursday in the journal Nature, opens an intriguing window into the neurobiology of romantic behavior and helps improve understanding of disorders such as autism, in which social bonds are difficult to form.
It also shows that a little minor tweaking of brain chemistry can ...