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Full-Text Articles in Behavior and Ethology
The Evolutionary Origins Of Autism Associated Genes And Their Role In Great Ape Socio-Communicative Behavior, Azeeza Abdulrauf
The Evolutionary Origins Of Autism Associated Genes And Their Role In Great Ape Socio-Communicative Behavior, Azeeza Abdulrauf
Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a set of neurological disorders characterized by reduced social interactions and deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication. Although there are no clear genetic markers for ASD, studies have found associations between gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and patients diagnosed with ASD. For this study, the focus is on OXTR, AVPR1A, and FOXP2. OXTR is reported to regulate empathy and stress reactivity while AVPR1A is reported to regulate stress management and territorial aggression, as well as social bonding and recognition. FOXP2 is one of the first genes to be associated with both speech and language recognition …