NEUROENDOCRINE BASES OF MONOGAMY

A number of studies have implicated the neurohypophyseal peptides oxyt ocin and vasopressin in the central mediation of complex social behavi ors, including affiliation,parental care and territorial aggression. R esearch on a monogamous rodent, the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster ), suggests that these neuropeptides are also involved in the control of several behaviors associated with monogamy, including pair bonding, paternal care and mate guarding. Comparative studies using several sp ecies of vole have identified species-specific patterns of oxytocin-an d vasopressin-receptor expression in the brain that appear to be assoc iated with a monogamous versus non-monogamous social structure. Molecu lar studies suggest that changes in the regulation of oxytocin-and vas opressin-receptor gene expression underlie these species differences i n receptor distribution and might provide a mechanism for the evolutio n of monogamy in voles.