Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is a hormone with a variety of functions, including regulation of blood pressure and water balance. One of the first discoveries of an AVP action in the brain was the finding that it alters social behavior, enhancing a form of social communication in... click to read more

Very little in genetics is determinate—least of all, behavior. Behaviors are dynamic processes by which animals respond to their environment to survive, and evolution can shape genes affecting behavior over generations. Genetic selection may be even more dramatic in domestic animals due to human influence... click to read more

Many birds communicate using songs. Among them, the Ecuadorian Hillstar hummingbird produces a song with the highest pitch. Our previous research suggests that these hummingbirds produce high-pitch sounds to stand out from ambient noise. For vocal communication to be effective, the listener needs to hear the... click to read more