# behav: a single gene can drive aggression (in wild songbird)

<< In 2014, the lab (Donna Maney lab) identified a hormone receptor—estrogen receptor alpha (ER-alpha)—that appeared connected to the differences in the sparrows' aggression and parenting behaviors in the wild. The white-striped birds express this receptor at much higher levels than the tan-striped birds, and the more the expression, the more aggressive the bird. >>

In the recent work << results showed that when expression of that one gene was blocked, the aggression of the white-striped birds went down so they behaved like the tan-striped ones. >>

Carol Clark. Study shows how a single gene drives aggression in wild songbird.  Emory University. Aug 18, 2020.

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-gene-aggression-wild-songbird.html   

Jennifer R. Merritt, Kathleen E. Grogan, et al. A supergene-linked estrogen receptor drives alternative phenotypes in a polymorphic songbird. PNAS doi: 10.1073/ pnas.2011347117 Aug 17, 2020.

https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/08/14/2011347117