The innate ability of rodents to detect danger and protect their litter depends on a molecule concentrated in the brain's fear circuit, the amygdala , which is linked in humans to disorders such as postpartum depression or autism. In a series of experiments, Rutgers University researcher Gleb Shumyatsky has studied how female mice act if the gene that controls this molecule is deleted. And he has found that his perception of risk is seriously altered.
This is the case of the protagonist of this video, who must rebuild a nest discarded by the researchers and regroup her young . Unlike normal mice, which place the nest in a sheltered corner, this rodent places it in a central position that is much more vulnerable to possible predators. It also takes much longer than normal to locate and place the scattered hatchlings in their new home.
"The human equivalent would be the reaction of parents in a park with their children when a storm starts," explains Shumyatsky. The typical reaction in this case would be to round up the children and go under cover. "But if a parent lacked the deleted gene in this mouse, they would think: they are just going to get a little wet, no problem," he adds.
PNAS
