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Are Behaviours Specific to Animals of Particular Sex ?

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Heterotypical Behaviour in Man and Animals

Abstract

The processes accounting for sex differences in form and behaviour in mammals are said to be due to subtle interactions between genes, hormones and neural circuits acting at different times of the organism’s life. As, however, heterotypical behaviour is relatively common (especially in female vertebrates) one has to ask the questions (a) is such behaviour simply erroneous; (b) is the idea that behaviours can be sexually dimorphic fundamentally flawed, or (c) are there circumstances when behaviour typical of the “other” sex can be advantageous to particular animals ? This initial account will briefly review the data on the presumed biological origins of sexual dimorphic behaviours and then will examine the topics treated in the rest of this diverse volume.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biological Sciences, University College of Swansea, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK

    Paul F. Brain

  2. Laboratoire de Psychophysiologie, (URA 1295), Université Louis Pasteur, 7 rue de l’Université, 67000, Strasbourg, France

    Marc Haug

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  1. Paul F. Brain
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Laboratory, Louis Pasteur University, Strasbourg, France

    M. Haug

  2. Biological Sciences, University College of Swansea, UK

    P. F. Brain

  3. Faculty of Medicine, Histology Institute, Strasbourg, France

    C. Aron

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© 1991 M. Haug, P. Brain and C. Aron

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Brain, P.F., Haug, M. (1991). Are Behaviours Specific to Animals of Particular Sex ?. In: Haug, M., Brain, P.F., Aron, C. (eds) Heterotypical Behaviour in Man and Animals. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3078-3_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3078-3_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5364-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-3078-3

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