Aggressive hamsters. First, the researchers proved that indeed the animals had no functional Avpr1a receptors and therefore AVP function was impaired by lack of receptor binding in the brain, lack of behavioural response to AVP and of expected...
Determining which hamster breed is the most aggressive requires a nuanced understanding of hamster behavior and the factors that influence it. While genetics play a role, environment, handling, and individual personality are crucial determinants of a hamsters temperament.
Specifically, they tweaked the genetic makeup of hamsters so that the diminutive animals lost the function of a hormone receptor responsible for regulating "phenomena ranging from pair bonding, cooperation, and social communication to dominance and aggression."
The GSU team was surprised to find that their attempts to turn down the aggression in the gene-hacked hamsters made them both more aggressive and more social a nightmarish-sounding scenario that evokes Gremlin-esque playground bullies.
