Prairie voles have long been heralded as models of monogamy. Now, a study suggests that the “love hormone” once thought essential for their bonding — oxytocin — might not be so necessary after all.

Scientists have discovered that orgasms rewire the brains of fuzzy little rodents called prairie voles, helping them to bond and form long-term monogamous relationships. The research provides an ...

The pile of cotton and hamster bedding rises and falls steadily, as though the two prairie voles snuggled beneath are breathing in unison. In the wild, these “potato chips of the prairie” would be ...