Sexual Behaviour Flashcards
Monogamy prevalence
- 3% in mammalian species
- 12% of primates
Polyandry
One female mates with many males, but each male with just that female
Rare in mammals
Polygyny
One male mates with many females, but each female with just that males
Many mammalian species
Sexual dimorphism
Structural differences between male and female brains
Generally, which gender has a larger brain?
Males
Motor neurones that control the bulbocavernosus muscle lie in the ____ ____ in the _____ _____ _____
Onuf’s nucleus
Sacral spinal cord
What is the bulbocavernosus muscle?
The muscle responsible for waste disposal from the urethra
There are more neurones in Onuf’s nucleus in males because…?
The BC is larger in males
The Sexually Dismorphic Nucleus (SDN) of the pre-optic area of the hypothalamus is much larger in ___ than ____
Males
Females
After puberty, women display better ___ ability than men
Verbal
Women exhibit better performance in spatial reasoning tests when oestrogen levels are ____
Lowest
Initiation of sexual encounters increases prior to _____
Ovulation
Treatment of female rats with testosterone reduces female sexual behaviour
- Normal female rats exhibit lordosis prior to mating
- Testosterone prevents lordosis when exposure happens for a few days at birth
- Critical period
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)
- Adrenals secrete high levels of androgen (male hormones) in early life
- Ovaries are normal, external genitalia are often indistinct
- Often described as aggressive and male-like
Testosterone
- Male hormone
- Levels vary during the day
- Linked to aggression
- Can form oestodiol via aromatisation
