[Viewpoint] Who Moved My Cheese?

More and more, science is confirming what many biologists have suspected for some time. Humans have more in common with mice than might be initially expected, as evidenced by the groundbreaking work of the six-nation Mouse Genome Sequencing Consortium, which has nearly completed work on deciphering the genetic code of one of the industry’s most common pests. Based on tissue samples from Mus musculus, the genetic make-up of mice appears to be strikingly similar to humans. "Fully 99 percent of mouse genes have counterparts in humans, including the genes that cause mice to have tails," writes Lee Bowman, a reporter for Scripps Howard. "If you look at the material in broad bands, we have the same chapters, but in different orders," adds Eric Lander, director of the Whitehead Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research in Cambridge, Mass., one of the partners of the consortium.

Bobby Corrigan, PCT’s vertebrate columnist, says the results of the Mouse Genome Sequencing Consortium aren’t too surprising. "Not only are we genetically similar," Corrigan observes, "but we’re physiologically and behaviorally similar in several ways as well. Scientists have long observed how humans behave under stress and it’s similar to the way mice and rats behave under stress. The same is true for the way we forage for food and rear our families. Whether we want to admit it or not there are a lot of similarities between humans and mice."

Unlike mice, however, humans are capable of complex thought (with the exception of Joe Millionaire, of course). Still, that doesn’t mean we necessarily use our brains to make prudent lifestyle choices. In fact, despite the disparity in intellectual capacity, humans and mice respond in a surprisingly similar fashion when it comes to hoarding resources. In that way, mice are not unlike your typical suburban family.

"For example, mice and other rodents (e.g., squirrels) often collect food and cache it in nooks and crannies in and around their nests and their home range," Corrigan says. "During times when resources may be abundant for rodents, they may never get around to consuming the food they spent all that time collecting and it may go to waste. When you think about it, that’s not too different from the way people behave. When we have abundant resources that we take for granted – like food, money or personal belongings – we tend to become wasteful. When resources become short, we begin to tighten our belt, much as mice do when faced with similar circumstances."

Clearly, many parallels exist in the behavior patterns between rodents that exist in social units and humans, so perhaps it shouldn’t be too surprising that our genetic make-up is similar. Corrigan cautions, however, that behavioral biology is an extremely complex subject influenced by many factors in addition to genetics. Personally, I’m still not convinced one way or another. I do know one thing, however, all of this high-minded talk has made me hungry. I think I’ll go to the refrigerator and nibble on some cheese. Yeah, that sounds good!

The author is publisher of PCT magazine.