Study connects specific genes with defective social behavior
Animals rely on group behavior to survive, whether it’s fish swimming together to avoid predators or humans sharing knowledge with each other. But despite the importance of such social interactions, scientists do not have a good understanding of the biological processes that guide collective behavior. In a new study published in iScience, researchers at Harvard University and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior developed a new way to study how genes influence collective behavior. Using zebrafish as a model, they set out to establish the connection between genetic mutations and behavior. “We are interested in answering a fundamental biological question: why do animals live in groups?” said Mark Fishman, Harvard professor of stem cell and regenerative biology. “To search for genes that affect collective behavior, we focused on genetic mutations that are associated with psychiatric diseases that have a social behavior component, including autism and schizophrenia.” The team observed that in fish...