A kinematic analysis of sex-typical movement patterns used during evasive dodging to protect a food item: the role of testicular hormones.
Feeding rats dodge laterally away from a conspecific attempting to steal their food. Dodges by female and male rats differ in their composition of movement. Females pivot around a point more posterior on the longitudinal axis than do males, producing a greater amount of movement of the snout in relation to the pelvis. This experiment examined the role of testicular hormones on these sex-typical movement patterns. Castration at weaning (21 days) does not affect the male-typical pattern. Neonatal testicular hormone manipulation, however, does alter sex-typical patterns of movements. Whereas castration neonatally makes male rats more female-like, injections of neonatal female rats with testosterone propionate make them more male-like. These findings suggest that the organization of sex-typical patterns of dodging involves perinatal action of gonadal hormones. Results are discussed in relation to anatomy, neural structure, and the role of gonadal hormones during development.
Field
E F
EF
Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
Whishaw
I Q
IQ
Pellis
S M
SM
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001070:Appetitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000502:physiology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000502:physiology*
D013739:Testosterone