Phenotypic differences in behavior, physiology and neurochemistry between rats selected for tameness and for defensive aggression towards humans

Frank W. Albert; Olesya Shchepina; Christine Winter; Holger Römpler; Daniel Teupser; Rupert Palme; Uta Ceglarek; Jürgen Kratzsch; Reinhard Sohr; Lyudmila N. Trut; Joachim Thiery; Rudolf Morgenstern; Irina Z. Plyusnina; Torsten Schöneberg; Svante Pääbo

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.11.010

Phenotypic differences in behavior, physiology and neurochemistry between rats selected for tameness and for defensive aggression towards humans

Frank W. Albert, Olesya Shchepina, Christine Winter, Holger Römpler, Daniel Teupser, Rupert Palme, Uta Ceglarek, Jürgen Kratzsch, Reinhard Sohr, Lyudmila N. Trut, Joachim Thiery, Rudolf Morgenstern, Irina Z. Plyusnina, Torsten Schöneberg, Svante Pääbo

Genetics, Cell Biology and Development (CBS)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

108 Scopus citations

Abstract

To better understand the biology of tameness, i.e. tolerance of human presence and handling, we analyzed two lines of wild-derived rats (Rattus norvegicus) artificially selected for tameness and defensive aggression towards humans. In response to a gloved human hand, tame rats tolerated handling, whereas aggressive rats attacked. Cross-fostering showed that these behavioral differences are not caused by postnatal maternal effects. Tame rats were more active and explorative and exhibited fewer anxiety-related behaviors. They also had smaller adrenal glands, larger spleens and lower levels of serum corticosterone. Blood glucose levels were lower in tame rats, whereas the concentrations of nine amino acids were higher. In the brain, tame rats had lower serotonin and higher taurine levels than aggressive rats. Our findings reinforce the notion that tameness is correlated with differences in stress response and will facilitate future efforts to uncover the genetic basis for animal tameness.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	413-421
Number of pages	9
Journal	Hormones and Behavior
Volume	53
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.11.010
State	Published - Mar 1 2008

Keywords

Anxiety
Behavior
Corticosterone
Domestication
Serotonin
Taurine

Access

10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.11.010

OpenUrl availability

Full text

Cite this

Albert, F. W., Shchepina, O., Winter, C., Römpler, H., Teupser, D., Palme, R., Ceglarek, U., Kratzsch, J., Sohr, R., Trut, L. N., Thiery, J., Morgenstern, R., Plyusnina, I. Z., Schöneberg, T., & Pääbo, S. (2008). Phenotypic differences in behavior, physiology and neurochemistry between rats selected for tameness and for defensive aggression towards humans. Hormones and Behavior, 53(3), 413-421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.11.010

Albert, FW, Shchepina, O, Winter, C, Römpler, H, Teupser, D, Palme, R, Ceglarek, U, Kratzsch, J, Sohr, R, Trut, LN, Thiery, J, Morgenstern, R, Plyusnina, IZ, Schöneberg, T & Pääbo, S 2008, 'Phenotypic differences in behavior, physiology and neurochemistry between rats selected for tameness and for defensive aggression towards humans', Hormones and Behavior, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 413-421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.11.010

@article{b4d35fef248d4308ba6b1c3fd36a3fd6,

title = "Phenotypic differences in behavior, physiology and neurochemistry between rats selected for tameness and for defensive aggression towards humans",

abstract = "To better understand the biology of tameness, i.e. tolerance of human presence and handling, we analyzed two lines of wild-derived rats (Rattus norvegicus) artificially selected for tameness and defensive aggression towards humans. In response to a gloved human hand, tame rats tolerated handling, whereas aggressive rats attacked. Cross-fostering showed that these behavioral differences are not caused by postnatal maternal effects. Tame rats were more active and explorative and exhibited fewer anxiety-related behaviors. They also had smaller adrenal glands, larger spleens and lower levels of serum corticosterone. Blood glucose levels were lower in tame rats, whereas the concentrations of nine amino acids were higher. In the brain, tame rats had lower serotonin and higher taurine levels than aggressive rats. Our findings reinforce the notion that tameness is correlated with differences in stress response and will facilitate future efforts to uncover the genetic basis for animal tameness.",

keywords = "Anxiety, Behavior, Corticosterone, Domestication, Serotonin, Taurine",

author = "Albert, {Frank W.} and Olesya Shchepina and Christine Winter and Holger R{\"o}mpler and Daniel Teupser and Rupert Palme and Uta Ceglarek and J{\"u}rgen Kratzsch and Reinhard Sohr and Trut, {Lyudmila N.} and Joachim Thiery and Rudolf Morgenstern and Plyusnina, {Irina Z.} and Torsten Sch{\"o}neberg and Svante P{\"a}{\"a}bo",

year = "2008",

month = mar,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.11.010",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "53",

pages = "413--421",

journal = "Hormones and Behavior",

issn = "0018-506X",

publisher = "Academic Press Inc.",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Phenotypic differences in behavior, physiology and neurochemistry between rats selected for tameness and for defensive aggression towards humans

AU - Albert, Frank W.

AU - Shchepina, Olesya

AU - Winter, Christine

AU - Römpler, Holger

AU - Teupser, Daniel

AU - Palme, Rupert

AU - Ceglarek, Uta

AU - Kratzsch, Jürgen

AU - Sohr, Reinhard

AU - Trut, Lyudmila N.

AU - Thiery, Joachim

AU - Morgenstern, Rudolf

AU - Plyusnina, Irina Z.

AU - Schöneberg, Torsten

AU - Pääbo, Svante

PY - 2008/3/1

Y1 - 2008/3/1

N2 - To better understand the biology of tameness, i.e. tolerance of human presence and handling, we analyzed two lines of wild-derived rats (Rattus norvegicus) artificially selected for tameness and defensive aggression towards humans. In response to a gloved human hand, tame rats tolerated handling, whereas aggressive rats attacked. Cross-fostering showed that these behavioral differences are not caused by postnatal maternal effects. Tame rats were more active and explorative and exhibited fewer anxiety-related behaviors. They also had smaller adrenal glands, larger spleens and lower levels of serum corticosterone. Blood glucose levels were lower in tame rats, whereas the concentrations of nine amino acids were higher. In the brain, tame rats had lower serotonin and higher taurine levels than aggressive rats. Our findings reinforce the notion that tameness is correlated with differences in stress response and will facilitate future efforts to uncover the genetic basis for animal tameness.

AB - To better understand the biology of tameness, i.e. tolerance of human presence and handling, we analyzed two lines of wild-derived rats (Rattus norvegicus) artificially selected for tameness and defensive aggression towards humans. In response to a gloved human hand, tame rats tolerated handling, whereas aggressive rats attacked. Cross-fostering showed that these behavioral differences are not caused by postnatal maternal effects. Tame rats were more active and explorative and exhibited fewer anxiety-related behaviors. They also had smaller adrenal glands, larger spleens and lower levels of serum corticosterone. Blood glucose levels were lower in tame rats, whereas the concentrations of nine amino acids were higher. In the brain, tame rats had lower serotonin and higher taurine levels than aggressive rats. Our findings reinforce the notion that tameness is correlated with differences in stress response and will facilitate future efforts to uncover the genetic basis for animal tameness.

KW - Anxiety

KW - Behavior

KW - Corticosterone

KW - Domestication

KW - Serotonin

KW - Taurine

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=39149131674&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=39149131674&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.11.010

DO - 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.11.010

M3 - Article

C2 - 18177873

AN - SCOPUS:39149131674

SN - 0018-506X

VL - 53

SP - 413

EP - 421

JO - Hormones and Behavior

JF - Hormones and Behavior

IS - 3

ER -

Phenotypic differences in behavior, physiology and neurochemistry between rats selected for tameness and for defensive aggression towards humans

Abstract

Keywords

Access

OpenUrl availability

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this