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Judi Lynn

(160,217 posts)
Wed Apr 11, 2018, 01:00 AM Apr 2018

Love hormone identified in birds that makes them more generous


Pinyon jays became more likely to share food when given high doses of 'bird oxytocin'

Josh Gabbatiss Science Correspondent @josh_gabbatiss 2 hours ago



Scientists wanted to find out if giving pinyon jays high dosages of the hormone mesotocin made them more generous Getty Images

Administering birds with a "love hormone" similar to one found in humans, makes them more generous to their friends.

Oxytocin is a chemical messenger found in the human brain that has gained popular recognition due to its role in regulating behaviours as diverse as empathy, orgasms and bonding between mothers and babies.

But despite its involvement in complex behaviours that seem very human, oxytocin is also found in other animals.

“Oxytocin is what we call this hormone in mammals, however, the hormone itself is evolutionary ancient and found in animals that are only very distantly related to mammals,” Dr Juan Duque, a neuroscientist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln told The Independent..

More:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/oxytocin-birds-love-hormone-generous-jays-social-food-nebraska-a8298596.html
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Love hormone identified in birds that makes them more generous (Original Post) Judi Lynn Apr 2018 OP
Hmmm ... birds evolved from dinosaurs, so maybe ... eppur_se_muova Apr 2018 #1
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