Exploration gene

Scientists from the University of Basel in Switzerland studied the exploratory behavior of different species of cichlid fish from Africa’s Lake Tanganyika. The 240 species found in the lake evolved from the same ancestral species but are extremely diverse in shapes, sizes and behaviors. The study measured the exploratory behavior of the different species in the lab and correlated it to their genetics, with one Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) in one gene accounting for major differences in the propensity to explore, something we could call "curiosity". Physical differences in the wild correlate: the most daring explorers tend to be larger.

They were able to change the exploratory behavior of fish by mutating the target nucleotide. The confirmation that a single nucleotide is responsible for a drastic change in exploratory propensity, and probably lead to the extraordinary diversity of observed phenotypes, is mind blowing.

An additional interesting connection: the human analog of the gene (cacng5b) that is closest to the SNP is associated with psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. In the fish, "The gene proved very active in the habenula, a region of the cichlid’s brain that registers fear and instigates movement."