It’s the first time anyone’s shown any epigenetic basis for partner preference,
Mohamed Kabbaj, a neuroscientist at Florida State University and an author of the paper, said that work in other species gave him clues that epigenetics could be important for social behavior. For instance, previous work suggests that modifications are involved in bonds between mothers and offspring in rats.
the researchers blocked vasopressin or oxytocin receptors in the animals, the TSA had no effect on pair bond formation, supporting the theory that oxytocin and vasopressin were mediating the effects of the epigenetic modification.
The mating and cohabitation produced the exact same effects [as TSA],” said Bruce Cushing, a behavioral neuroscientist at the University of Akron who was not involved in the study. “That is really powerful.”
With a high rate of divorce among a large, youthful population, authorities in Iran have stepped in to play Cupid with the launch of a state-run internet dating website. Some 22% of marriages among Iranians end in divorce - a rate which is even higher in the capital, Tehran.