Voles in love

shereads · Feb 28, 2004

"A recent study done at Emory University shows that female voles (small rodents)
choose their mates in response to dopamine being released in their brains. When injected with dopamine in a male vole's presence, the female will pick him
out of a crowd later."

And we imagine that we are the only species that experiences romantic love? Ha. Dopamine is a component of PEA, the naturally occuring amphetimine that is found at high levels in people who are in love.

Imagining the marketing potential if Voles evolved intelligence and communications skills. The Hallmark Card company, alone, would quadruple in size. Right alongside the Romance section (but of course, closer to the floor) would be the Vole Romance section.

Guest · Feb 28, 2004

ella, you do realize vole is an anagram? P.

minsue · Feb 28, 2004

perdita said:
ella, you do realize vole is an anagram? P.

Ok, I'll bite. Of what?

Guest · Feb 28, 2004

Min, are you serious? It's only four letters, look at the context.

P.

minsue · Feb 28, 2004

It's an odd world we live in when the first hit on a Google search of voles contains this:

http://www.psy.fsu.edu/faculty/wang/receptor1.jpg
Matched brain sections from a monogamous prairie (left) and a non-monogamous montane (right) vole, displaying differences in the vasopressin receptor binding

-Mindy

ps to 'Dita, Yes, sadly I'm serious. Brain is so unbelievably fried today.

Guest · Feb 28, 2004

Just thought I'd add a clue...

:heart:

minsue · Feb 28, 2004

Tatelou said:
Just thought I'd add a clue...

Thanks, Lou! See, I told ya my brain was fried!

Guest · Feb 28, 2004

minsue said:
Thanks, Lou! See, I told ya my brain was fried!

(I'm a woman of few words today.)

minsue · Feb 28, 2004

Tatelou said:
(I'm a woman of few words today.)

As long as not of the words are, "Do you have a light?", it's fine by me!

Guest · Feb 28, 2004

minsue said:
As long as not of the words are, "Do you have a light?", it's fine by me!

Quite! And, no they're not.

Swans fall in love with their mates. Well, who wouldn't?

Ok, so it might not be love (as we know it, cap'n), but they do mate for life.

:heart:

minsue · Feb 28, 2004

Tatelou said:
Quite! And, no they're not.

Swans fall in love with their mates. Well, who wouldn't?

Ok, so it might not be love (as we know it, cap'n), but they do mate for life.

On the same site...
http://www.psy.fsu.edu/faculty/wang/pair1.gif
"After mating, male and female prairie voles tend to stay together until one member dies"

SnoopDog · Feb 28, 2004

minsue said:
On the same site...
http://www.psy.fsu.edu/faculty/wang/pair1.gif
"After mating, male and female prairie voles tend to stay together until one member dies"

That's actually a cute picture, seems I have to be reboen as a vole then.
Snoopy, pre-vole status

shereads · Feb 28, 2004

perdita said:
ella, you do realize vole is an anagram? P.

I did not.

Wow.

Is this what an epiphany feels like?

shereads · Feb 28, 2004

minsue said:
It's an odd world we live in when the first hit on a Google search of voles contains this:

http://www.psy.fsu.edu/faculty/wang/receptor1.jpg
Matched brain sections from a monogamous prairie (left) and a non-monogamous montane (right) vole, displaying differences in the vasopressin receptor binding

-Mindy

ps to 'Dita, Yes, sadly I'm serious. Brain is so unbelievably fried today.

The one on the right is clearly a randy little sonofabitch. Anyone can see that.

shereads · Feb 28, 2004

minsue said:
It's an odd world we live in when the first hit on a Google search of voles contains this:

It was wierd as soon as you did a Google search of voles.

minsue · Feb 28, 2004

shereads said:
It was wierd as soon as you did a Google search of voles.

oggbashan · Feb 28, 2004

minsue said:
"After mating, male and female prairie voles tend to stay together until one member dies"

It is difficult to live when one is fixed to another.

Do voles have the equivalent of dog-knotting?

Og

shereads · Feb 28, 2004

oggbashan said:
It is difficult to live when one is fixed to another.

Do voles have the equivalent of dog-knotting?

Og

Ask Mindy.

Btw, that site she linked us to with the brain scans is worth visiting if only for the picture of an "aggressive display" by a vole.

It must be awful being adorable and angry at the same time. (EDITED to add: Yes, it is, in fact.)

I remember a nature program about koalas. The dreaded Ear-Stapler People (which is how all wildlife must think of scientists in the field) had lasooed a male koala and were dragging him by the neck down the tree trunk so they could weigh and tag him, and all the poor animal could do was smile.

In his mind, he must have been snarling mad. A cornered lion. An enraged wolverine. But that beatific smile was frozen on his face.

Imagine.

The aggressive vole pictured at Min's favorite vole sex site is not smiling exactly, but he's not making much of an impression, fiercness-wise, either.

Guest · Feb 28, 2004

love is really one alternate, evolutionary strategy. Humans are born half-formed really, because if we were more developed our mother's would not surivive childbirth. So raising one of us hairless apes takes a very long time. Women used to die in childbirth regularly, and today are very vulnerable for a time. Romantic love and bonding are simply good for our species, and evolution encourages them.

But no, we aren't alone. Geese mate for life. Often chimpanzee women will 'slip out' to meet the not-so-dominant male they fancy.

The fact that evolution may encourage long term pair bonding doesn't mean it can't be wonderful. i remember what it was like to feel in love, and to feel loved, and miss it terribly. if it can uplife the life of a small mouse, well good.

shereads · Feb 28, 2004

minsue said:
It's an odd world we live in when the first hit on a Google search of voles contains this:

http://www.psy.fsu.edu/faculty/wang/receptor1.jpg
Matched brain sections from a monogamous prairie (left) and a non-monogamous montane (right) vole, displaying differences in the vasopressin receptor binding

-Mindy

ps to 'Dita, Yes, sadly I'm serious. Brain is so unbelievably fried today.

Notice that the randy fellow on the right has monogrammed his brain with his intitials. I'll bet he has a velour smoking jacket with "LS" embroidered on it as well.

minsue · Feb 28, 2004

shereads said:
at Min's favorite vole sex site

Ah, my parents will be so proud.

shereads · Feb 28, 2004

minsue said:
Ah, my parents will be so proud.

As indeed would all of our parents. That rolling-over sound you've been hearing since I first started reading Lit stories in June? My dad, in his grave, God bless him. It got louder when I joined the Sorry/Political/Asses thread. And louder still when I wrote roleplay threads.

Cute vole in your AV, by the way. Where'd you find those shoes?

And speaking of tiny shoes, where is Math Girl?

Guest · Feb 28, 2004

Hey Min, are you in vole yet?

Perdita

minsue · Feb 28, 2004

shereads said:
As indeed would all of our parents. That rolling-over sound you've been hearing since I first started reading Lit stories in June? My dad, in his grave, God bless him. It got louder when I joined the Sorry/Political/Asses thread. And louder still when I wrote roleplay threads.

Cute vole in your AV, by the way. Where'd you find those shoes?

And speaking of tiny shoes, where is Math Girl?

The shoes were easy. It was those itty bitty sunglasses that were a bitch!

I've been wondering about MG's whereabouts for awhile now, myself. Anybody know??

minsue · Feb 28, 2004

perdita said:
Hey Min, are you in vole yet?

Perdita

Go ahead. Mock the anagrammatically challenged.

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