Regal Tribune

Friday, February 26, 2021
Log in
  • National News
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Science
  • Health
  • About Regal Tribune

Pages

  • About Regal Tribune
  • Body of Woman Discovered in Gwinnett Place Mall Identified
  • Compulsory Vaccines for Children
  • Contact Us
  • High Tides Are the New Danger in U.S. States
  • Homepage
  • Our Team
  • Privacy Policy GDPR
  • Terms of Use

Recent Posts

  • Canadian Teen Dies on School Trip from Toxic Shock Syndrome Jun 29, 2018
  • Unesco Removes the Belize Coral Reef from Its List of Endangered Sites Jun 28, 2018
  • Tonight, the Blood Moon Coincides with the Longest Lunar Eclipse of the Century Jun 27, 2018
  • People Are Paying Hundreds of Dollars Just to Own Official Fortnite Disc Copies Jun 27, 2018
  • Researchers Reassess the Fermi Paradox, Showing We’re Probably Alone in the Universe (Study) Jun 26, 2018
  • The Latest Xbox Update Might Bring Keyboard and Mouse Support on the Console Jun 26, 2018
  • Researchers Invent Miraculous Plaster that Effectively Treats Oral Ulcers Jun 25, 2018

Prairie Voles Feel Empathy Just Like Human Beings

Jan 24, 2016 By Graziella Paone 2 Comments

Email, RSS Follow

prairie volesPrairie voles feel empathy just like human beings, experts have recently concluded, in a study featured in the journal Science on Thursday, January 21.

The experiment was led by James Burkett, Frans de Waal and Larry Young, at Emory University’s Yerkes National Primate Research Center.

De Wall had previously detected empathetic responses among primates back in 1979. He was the first to observe a phenomenon known as animal consolation, through which creatures reach out to other members of their group in order to comfort and support them during difficult moments.

For instance, chimpanzees assist and reassure those that have been injured or hurt, by hugging or kissing them. Now, it appears that similar behaviors are also common among rodents, researchers having identified them when analyzing prairie voles.

These small animals, scientifically known as Microtus ochrogaster, are normally spread across grasslands from Canada and the United States, their habitat stretching from West Virginia to the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains.

The voles live for a year or two and are usually monogamous, mating for life and sharing responsibilities when it comes to caring for their offspring or building nests.

They are also known as highly social creatures, grouping themselves into colonies and displaying almost human-like behavior. For instance, they are often seen bonding together or even indulging in mutual grooming.

Now, by investigating the neural mechanisms behind these processes, scientists have revealed that prairie voles actually feel empathy, and that’s the reason why they too exhibit consolation behavior.

More precisely, when the mice witness another fellow rodent being exposed to low-intensity shocks or vexing sounds, a segment of their brain, known as the anterior cingulate cortex, is stimulated more than usual.

The same phenomenon actually occurs among human beings also, whenever they gaze at someone who’s physically hurt or in distress.

Once this brain region is galvanized, oxytocin is produced by the hypothalamus and secreted by the pituitary gland. The hormone, which has long been associated with mother-infant bonding and has been known to increase pleasure derived from social interactions, immediately influences the prairie voles’ behavior.

Namely, the animals instantly and instinctively try to alleviate the suffering of their mates, by brushing and licking their fur so as to lower their anxiety levels.

Researchers have tested this observation by blocking oxytocin from being discharged in the voles’ brains, and just like clockwork, the rodents no longer displayed any sort of consolation behavior.

Based on these findings, study authors are now arguing that emotional empathy isn’t just a trait characteristic of humans or primates.

Instead, it may actually be far more common than previously thought, being encountered among rodents and possibly among other creatures from the animal kingdom as well, without requiring a high level of intelligence or advanced cognitive abilities.

These recent observations are also giving hope to researchers that they will be able to help devise treatments for medical conditions such as schizophrenia and autism.

Given that these disorders usually entail an inability to understand or to react to emotions exhibited by others, by mimicking oxytocin release mechanisms identified in voles it may be possible to allow patients to feel empathy once again, in order to interact more easily with others.

Image Source: Flickr

Email, RSS Follow

Filed Under: Health

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 11 other subscribers

Recent Articles

Starbucks coffee.

California Family to Sue Starbucks over Drinking Coffee with Blood

Feb 11, 2018 By Benjamin Teh Leave a Comment

uber app

Portland Officials Learned Uber Activated Software to Deceive Ride Service Regulators

Sep 16, 2017 By Jose Buttner Leave a Comment

tesla model s

Tesla’s Free Software Upgrade for Drivers Affected by Irma to Expire on Saturday

Sep 12, 2017 By Jose Buttner Leave a Comment

hurricane aftermath

Companies Assess the Economic Toll of Two Hurricanes Hitting the U.S.

Sep 11, 2017 By Lori Martinez Leave a Comment

chipotle restaurant

Chipotle Announced Nationwide Launch for Famous Cheese Sauce, Queso

Sep 6, 2017 By Lori Martinez Leave a Comment

bitcoin coins

China Is the First Nation to React to Initial Coin Offerings

Sep 4, 2017 By Benjamin Teh Leave a Comment

people sheltering from flood

Best Buy Gives Its Apologies for Water Price Gouging after Hurricane Harvey

Sep 2, 2017 By Graziella Paone Leave a Comment

uber driver

Uber Will Quit Surveillance Feature after Riders End Their Trips

Aug 31, 2017 By Benjamin Teh Leave a Comment

uber car

Uber Introduces New Flexible Driver Benefits

Aug 24, 2017 By Graziella Paone Leave a Comment

mountain view

Interior Department Kills Study on Health Hazards of Appalachian Mountaintop Removal Coal Mine

Aug 23, 2017 By Jose Buttner Leave a Comment

volkswagen minibus

Volkswagen Is Bringing Back the Sassy ID Buzz Minibus in Electric Version

Aug 21, 2017 By Benjamin Teh Leave a Comment

howard schultz interview

Starbucks CEO Speaks out about Charlottesville Violence

Aug 19, 2017 By Jose Buttner Leave a Comment

michael o'leary

Ryanair CEO Opposes Collaboration between Lufthansa and Insolvent Rival Air Berlin

Aug 18, 2017 By Lori Martinez Leave a Comment

aldi logo

Aldi Distances Itself from Competitors with New Grocery Delivery System

Aug 14, 2017 By Jose Buttner Leave a Comment

Related Articles

  • Colony of green bacteria

    Canadian Teen Dies on School Trip from Toxic Shock Syndrome

    Jun 29, 2018
  • Five plasters placed on a dark blue textile surface

    Researchers Invent Miraculous Plaster that Effectively Treats Oral Ulcers

    Jun 25, 2018
  • Old person holding their hands on their legs

    Parkinson’s Medication Might Activate Compulsive Behavior, Turning People into Sex Addicts

    Jun 21, 2018
  • Black overweight Labrador sitting on a carpet

    Overweight Dogs Might Teach Researchers How to Deal with Obesity (Study)

    Jun 18, 2018
  • Colorful elephant drawings on LSD stamps

    Psychedelic Drugs Might Reverse the Effects of Depression (Study)

    Jun 14, 2018
  • Thermometer placed on top of a pile of prescription drugs

    More Americans Are Taking Prescription Drugs with Anxiety and Depression as Side Effects (Study)

    Jun 13, 2018
  • Child studying at night using a poor light source

    Researchers Identify Strong Link Between Education and Poor Vision (Study)

    Jun 7, 2018
  • Pomegranate half with dark red arils inside

    Australian Woman Dies from Hepatitis A after Eating a Frozen Pomegranate

    Jun 6, 2018
  • Baby feet sticking out of a fluffy blanket

    Doctor who Decapitated Baby during Breech Birth Pronounced Guilty

    Jun 5, 2018
  • Intricate eye makeup in shades of blue and green

    Australian Woman Is Left Nearly Blind After Not Removing Eye Makeup for 25 Years (Study)

    Jun 4, 2018

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • National News
  • Nature
  • Science
  • Technology
  • U.S.

Copyright © 2021RegalTribune.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Contact

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more.