In a series of studies by Meaney and colleagues, rat pups are randomly assigned to be raised by surrogate mothers who spend a lot of time licking and grooming (high LG) them or surrogate mothers who spend little time engaging in this behavior (low GH). Rat pups raised by high LG surrogate grow up to be _____ fearful in novel situations, which can be attributed to a(n) _____ in DNA methylation.

Question

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Rat pups raised by high LG surrogate mothers have decreased fearfulness in novel situations, which can be attributed to a decrease in DNA methylation. This is supported by studies showing that high LG mothers promote increased expression of the glucocorticoid receptor gene, which is associated with decreased DNA methylation in this region.

In a Series of Studies by Meaney and Colleagues, Rat