USU Researchers Investigating Grief with the Help of Coyotes

Описание: Why do we fall in love? Why are parents so fiercely protective of their offspring? Like humans, do some animals grieve for lost mates?

Oxytocin and vasopressin hormonal systems of the brain – responsible for the so-called “tend-and-defend” mechanisms key to romantic and parental love, are neural drivers for the formation of strong, selective social bonds characteristic of pair-bonded adult mammal mates, including humans.

“These evolutionarily ancient hormones are synthesized by the brain and have become primary targets for the study of neural mechanisms of social bonding,” says Utah State University neuroendocrinologist Sara Freeman.

Freeman is among the first researchers in the world to conduct systematic investigations of coyote pair-bonding behavior and the neurochemical systems of the coyote brain. The assistant professor in USU’s Department of Biology recently secured a competitive $1.41M National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant, one of USU’s largest CAREER awards, to continue the research.

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