Sexual fidelity trade-offs promote regulatory variation in the prairie vole brain

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aac5791
• Publication Date: 2015-12-13T06:05:17Z
• Authors: Mariam Okhovat; Alejandro Berrio; Gerard Wallace; Alexander G. Ophir; Steven M. Phelps
• Keywords: Vole; Variation (astronomy); Prairie vole

Individual variation in social behavior seems ubiquitous, but we know little about how it relates to brain diversity. Among monogamous prairie voles, levels of vasopressin receptor (encoded by the gene avpr1a) regions related spatial memory predict male space use and sexual fidelity field. We find that trade-offs between benefits infidelity are reflected patterns territorial intrusion, offspring paternity, avpr1a expression, evolutionary fitness alternative alleles. DNA at locus includes polymorphisms reliably epigenetic status neural expression avpr1a, diversity demonstrate regulatory has been favored selection. In consequences behaviors seem promote neuronal molecular