537: DNA of Voles May Hint at Why Some Fathers Shirk Duties - New York Times

DNA of Voles May Hint at Why Some Fathers Shirk Duties. Researchers have identified a highly variable site in the vole genome which evolves as conditions change.

Evolution at work. The same control region also occurs in humans, chimps and bonobos (common descent!), so understanding that region will help us understand human evolution and the evolution of monogamy in humans.

The control region of the vasopressin receptor has highly variable lengths and different lengths cause males to spend different amounts of time with the offspring.