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Oxytocin and complex social behavior: species comparisons
J T Winslow1, L Shapiro, C S Carter
1Unit on Developmental Biopsychology, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, MD.
Psychopharmacology Bulletin
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Oxytocin influences social behavior differently in voles. Post-mating oxytocin administration increased aggression in monogamous prairie voles but not in polygamous montane voles, suggesting receptor binding differences.
Area of Science:
- Neurobiology
- Behavioral Endocrinology
- Comparative Psychology
Background:
- Oxytocin, a neurohypophyseal hormone, acts as a neuropeptide in the brain and a posterior pituitary hormone.
- Distinct oxytocin receptor binding patterns exist in the brains of prairie voles (monogamous) and montane voles (polygamous).
- These vole species exhibit contrasting reproductive strategies, with prairie voles forming pair bonds and montane voles being polygamous.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of oxytocin in social behavior, specifically aggression and pair bonding, in two vole species with different mating systems.
- To determine if post-mating oxytocin administration differentially affects aggressive behavior in monogamous prairie voles compared to polygamous montane voles.
- To explore the functional relationship between oxytocin receptor binding differences and social behavior variations.
Main Methods:
- Administering oxytocin to male prairie voles and montane voles before and after mating.
- Observing and quantifying aggressive behavior directed at male conspecifics.
- Comparing behavioral responses and the effects of oxytocin between the two species and across mating conditions.
Main Results:
- Oxytocin administration after mating significantly increased aggression in male prairie voles, a potential indicator of pair bond formation.
- Oxytocin had minimal effects on aggression in prairie voles when administered before mating.
- Oxytocin exhibited modest effects on the behavior of montane voles, irrespective of mating experience.
Conclusions:
- Differences in oxytocin receptor binding between prairie and montane voles are functionally linked to their distinct social and reproductive behaviors.
- Post-mating oxytocin plays a crucial role in modulating aggression associated with pair bonding in monogamous species.
- Oxytocin's influence on social behavior is species-specific and context-dependent, highlighting the neurobiological underpinnings of mating systems.