the details of what is going on—the vole story, as it were—is a fascinating one.when prairie voles have sex, two hormones called oxytocin and vasopressin are released.if the release of these hormones is blocked, prairie-voles' sex becomes a fleeting affair, like that normally enjoyed by their rakish montane cousins.conversely, if prairie voles are given an injection of the hormones, but prevented from having sex, they will still form a preference for their chosen partner.in other words, researchers can make prairie voles fall in love—or whatever the vole equivalent of this is—with an injection.
像往常一样,最让人着魔的是田鼠爱情故事的进展细节。当草原田鼠性交时,其体内会释放两种称作催产素和抗利尿激素的荷尔蒙。如果这些荷尔蒙的释放被阻断,草原田鼠的性生活便成了短暂的艳遇,它们就会像生性放荡的山区堂兄那样去尽享受风流韵事。相反,如果给草原田鼠注射以上荷尔蒙,虽然阻止它们性交,它们依然会钟情于已选择的伴侣。换句话说, 不过就一剂注射,研究者们便能让草原田鼠落入情网,不管草原田鼠的感觉如何,反正它们会产生与爱相类似的神经反应。