Sexual differentiation of the brain and partner preference in the male rat

The studies reported in this thesis have been conducted to investigate the sexual differentiation of partner preference in the male rat. Initially, the effects of neonatal inhibition of brain estrogen formation on later coital behavior and partner preference of the male rat were studied. Later studies were directed to the central nervous system and investigated the neural mechanisms regulating male coital behavior and pattner preference. This first chapter provides an overview of the effects of gonadal hormones on the sexual differentiation of the brain, with emphasis on functional sex differences in behavior and neuroendocrine function in possible relation to morphological sex differences in the brain.