Finding the OXTR Gene in Titi Monkeys

Authors

Hannah Page, Brigham Young University
James D. Higley, Brigham Young University

Keywords

OXTR gene, titi monkeys, primate bonding, marital relationships

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Psychology

Abstract

I came across a compelling research question while doing an internship at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) three years ago. I was working in the Lab for the Comparative Neurobiology of Monogamy (I’ve always been a huge fan of monogamy), and chatting with some of the researchers about oxytocin, AKA the “cuddle hormone”. I soon learned that the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), which is found in humans and non-human primates, and correlates with social bonding measures such as parent-infant bonding time in overall social behavior, but surprisingly, it had not been sequenced a primate species studied for its trademark social monogamy, titi monkeys.

Recommended Citation

Page, Hannah and Higley, James D. (2016) "Finding the OXTR Gene in Titi Monkeys," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2016: Iss. 1, Article 83.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2016/iss1/83