Gonadal androgen and sociosexual behavior of male mammals: A comparative analysis

A review of the literature indicates that sexual, aggressive, and scent-marking behavioral patterns are altered by withdrawal and replacement of gonadal androgen in some mammalian species. Although in some animals peripheral organs related to the expression of these behavioral patterns may be affected by androgen, most behavioral influences are caused by the effects of androgen on the central nervous system. Earlier experimental work dealing with species differences in androgen control of sexual behavior suggested that androgen influence was inversely proportional to the relative development of the neocortex. Although this "evolutionary" principle may play a role in the overall picture, recent work reveals that understanding species differences requires an analysis of factors that relate to the responsiveness of the neural tissue in areas of the central nervous system that are affected by androgen. (130 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).