“We
recently genetically modified some mice in the lab, inserting some putative
depression genes into their genomes. We were surprised by the results,” says
PhD student Mike Last. “Not only did the mice perform as expected in the
learned helplessness tests and responded to a variety of anti-depressants such
as SSRIs, they showed strikingly human characteristics too – refusing to leave
their beds for long periods of time, randomly breaking down into uncontrollable
and inconsolable sobbing, and being so emotionally needy that they end up
pushing away anyone who ever had a sliver of sympathy for their plight, leaving
them to wallow in their own impenetrable thoughts and neuroses for days on end.”
“I
swear I keep seeing their gaze fall on the various bottles on toxic chemicals
and reagents we have in the lab,” Last continued. “Do mice have the dexterity
to unscrew caps?”
This
phenomenon has not been limited to this lab though, as other groups at the
university have noted similar findings. Observations of seemingly autistic mice
refuse to make eye contact with researchers, while some obsessive compulsive rats
will only enter a maze by stepping in left foot first and simultaneously
exhaling as their right foot plants. While a conservative gene was located just
last month in humans , it is rare for a gene to lead to such overt behaviour.
 |
| Other monkeys have actually been observed stealing drinks and wallets in order to fuel their addiction. |
Apes
have also been observed displaying surprisingly human characteristics – using
cards to communicate with researchers in Bristol, an ape model of alcoholism
has assured researchers that he can stop “anytime he wants”. Some observations
have even suggested that he has tried to hide his condition from fellow apes
and the researchers, believed to be due to the stigma associated with such a
condition. However, Lesley Appleby, the principle investigator on addiction at
the University of Bristol assured us that “At a recent Apes Anonymous meeting,
he was able to admit that he had a problem. This shows great progress.”
These
breakthroughs have raised new questions about the ethics of using animals as
models for research. When Alexander Brannigan, a researcher in animal cognition
at the University of Portsmouth, was asked whether animal model testing should
continue, he replied “I’m in two minds, much like our octopus here. He has
developed a second personality which appears to be racist towards other
octopuses. Not only is this ethically troubling, it has also made his reactions
towards mimic octopuses particularly difficult to understand.”
Ryan
Ryan
