The Neural Mechanisms of Sexually Dimorphic Aggressive Behaviors

Abstract

Aggression is a fundamental social behavior that is essential for competing for resources and protecting oneself and families in both males and females. As a result of natural selection, aggression is often displayed differentially between the sexes, typically at a higher level in males than females. Here, we highlight the behavioral differences between male and female aggression in rodents. We further outline the aggression circuits in males and females, and compare their differences at each circuit node. Lastly, we summarize our current understanding regarding the generation of sexually dimorphic aggression circuits during development and their maintenance during adulthood. In both cases, gonadal steroid hormones appear to play crucial roles in differentiating the circuits by impacting on the survival, morphology, and intrinsic properties of relevant cells. Many other factors, such as environment and experience, may also contribute to sex differences in aggression and remain to be investigated in future studies.