It turns out that even mice, yellow-bellied voles are able to “comfort” relatives who are in trouble! Scientists note that this behavior in rodents was discovered for the first time. And they explain why: perhaps the fact is that these animals are monogamous.
Empathy in rodents was identified by scientists from the Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University (USA). This discovery shows that not only humans and higher apes are able to recognize signs that their relatives are upset about something and comfort them. These results have the potential to be of great importance for the study and treatment of various mental disorders in which the ability to recognize and respond to other people’s emotions is impaired. Such disorders include, in particular, schizophrenia and various types of autism.
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During the experiments, voles were seated in different cages. One of the animals received a painful electric shock, after which it was placed in a cage with another rodent, which immediately began to lick the “victim”. At the same time, such behavior was observed only in those cases when the animals already knew each other (or were sexual partners, this type of rodent is known for forming strong monogamous pairs and jointly taking care of offspring), “strangers” were not consoled by voles . Interestingly, the close relatives of yellow-bellied voles – gray voles, which do not form pairs and lead a polygamous lifestyle, do not show any inclination to “comfort” relatives.
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One of the co-authors of the study, the famous primatologist and author of numerous books on animal behavior Frans de Waal, in 1979, observing chimpanzees, discovered for the first time that animals can console their relatives who have become victims of aggression. “Many scientists are reluctant to accept empathic explanations for animal behavior, instead looking for selfish motives. But “comforting behavior” is very difficult to explain by selfish motives. That is why the new study is very important,” he says.
The researchers were able to demonstrate that “comforting” behavior is regulated by the hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin, which has been linked in particular to feelings of affection and maternal care. By blocking the action of oxytocin in a region of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex (in humans, the same region of the brain is responsible for empathy), they were able to completely suppress all manifestations of such behavior.
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Study authors Larry Young and James Burkett also suggest that oxytocin may improve social interaction skills in people with autism spectrum disorder. Since one of the characteristic features of these disorders is a lack of empathy, in order to understand the mechanisms of their occurrence and find effective treatment, it is important to understand the work of the brain structures that regulate empathy. Further research on yellow-bellied voles, in which these structures are in many ways similar to humans, may help in this.
Подробнее см. J. Burkett et al. «Oxytocin-dependent consolation behavior in rodents», Science, January 2016, vol. 351, № 6271.