Comments on: Prairie Voles, early stress and sexual behavior

By: Warren

Warren — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:42:06 +0000

Eddy, we don’t know. I will post another paper perhaps later today that debunks the maternal stress theory for men so on that point, some work has already been done.
See the paper on child abuse and herpes in children. Some early stressors apparently leave their mark on the immune system, although we do not know for how long.

By: Eddy

Eddy — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:45:46 +0000

If it does follow through that stress can impact sexual behavior is that impact irreversible? Is the area of the brain and/or nervous system that was impacted permanently impacted? (Like the ‘grooves’ that ongoing depression leaves in the brain.) Would the absence of stress only stop reinforcement or would it also begin to diminish the present impact?
With the cows and the milk, I surmised that that particular impact wasn’t permanent. Take away the stress…add to sense of contentment…production enhanced.

By: carole

carole — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:23:39 +0000

Wow, the hairworms and the grasshoppers I hadn’t heard about.
As for twins–blood sugar levels are affected by all kinds of things so I can see how one twin could be affected and not the other. After all, even monozygotic twins are often quite different in birth weight and not even MZ twins develop at the exact same rate.
Just to take guesses at a few variables among many: the blood glucose levels themselves; the stage of brain cell development; the relative strength or weakness of the mother’s immune system. etc. Often it’s the confluence of several biological occurrences that causes something–happenstance. Even whether you and I come down with symptoms of a common rhinovirus is often determined by several chance factors, including the state of our immune system at the time the virus makes contact with us and of course, the relative virulence or benignity of the virus.

By: Drowssap

Drowssap — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:06:31 +0000

Video: Hairworms infect grasshoppers and manipulate their behavior
“It is one of the most spectacular instances known of behavioral manipulation of a host by a parasite”
“It is the parasites genes that are being expressed in the behavioral phenotype of the infected host that instruct it to jump”
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This one is awesome… unless you happen to be a cricket, grasshopper or spider.

By: Drowssap

Drowssap — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 03:48:10 +0000

Hormones absolutely do have an impact on behavior regardless of what might theoretically push them up or down in the womb. Obviously genes and socialization have an impact on behavior as well. --- What else can impact behavior? Well.... as weird as it might sound parasites can. Although Greg Cochran has mentioned that this might be how SSA works I don't think he is right. Nevertheless the fact this is not only possible but happens ALL THE TIME is pretty amazing. NatGeoVideo: Parasites take control of ants brains and direct their behavior, AMAZING!