Dad genes: Being a good father may be genetic

Lauren Vinopal | Fatherly | April 24, 2017

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[A] team of Harvard researchers has located specific DNA segments that influence paternal behaviors, the closest scientist have come to finding the “dad genes” — or at least proving they exist.

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Researchers tested the impact of different parenting styles by cross-fostering mice, having oldfield mice raise deer mice and vice versa. When they later observed how those pups parented themselves, they found, “no measurable effect based on who raises them…It’s all about who they are genetically,” evolutionary biologist Hopi Hoekstra explained.

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Scientists then zeroed in on the hypothalamus…[and] observed differences in gene expression between both species. That’s when the gene responsible for the production vasopressin, a hormone is thought to be responsible for nest building, jumped out. They tested if this gene impacted parenting by administering vasopressin to oldfield mice, the better fathers. When they did this, their nest-building dropped precipitously. In human terms, they left and went to the bar.

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The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: The Scientific Hunt for ‘Dad Genes’ Just Got Real

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