Genetic Influences on Receptive Joint Attention in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: William D. Hopkins, Georgia State University; Alaine C. Keebaugh, Emory University; Lisa A. Reamer, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; Jennifer Schaeffer, Georgia State University; Steven J. Schapiro, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; Larry Young, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-01-20
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2014, Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep03774
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Scientific Reports
• ISSN: 2045-2322
• Volume: 4
• Start Page: 3774
• End Page: 3774
• Grant/Funding Information: This research was supported by NIH grants MH-92923, NS-42867, NS-73134,HD-60563 to WDH, MH064692 and MH56897 to L.J.Y.; Cooperative Agreement RR-15090 to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and National Center for Research Resources P51RR165 to YNPRC, which is currently supported by the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs/OD P51OD11132).
• Keywords: MESSENGER-RNA; VERVET MONKEYS; RHESUS MACAQUES; VASOPRESSIN; Multidisciplinary Sciences; Science & Technology - Other Topics; MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES; Science & Technology; BEHAVIOR; FLANKING REGION; PRAIRIE VOLES; EXTENDED PEDIGREE; INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES; MICROSATELLITE
• Research Categories: Biology, Neuroscience; Psychology, Behavioral

Abstract

Despite their genetic similarity to humans, our understanding of the role of genes on cognitive traits in chimpanzees remains virtually unexplored. Here, we examined the relationship between genetic variation in the arginine vasopressin V1a receptor gene (AVPR1A) and social cognition in chimpanzees. Studies have shown that chimpanzees are polymorphic for a deletion in a sequence in the 5′ flanking region of the AVPR1A, DupB, which contains the variable RS3 repetitive element, which has been associated with variation in social behavior in humans. Results revealed that performance on the social cognition task was significantly her itable. Furthermore, males with one DupB + allele performed significantly better and were more responsive to socio-communicative cues than males homozygous for the DupB- deletion. Performance on a non-social cognition task was not associated with the AVPR1A genotype. The collective findings show that AVPR1A polymorphisms are associated with individual differences in performance on a receptive joint attention task in chimpanzees.