Feminine dimension in the play fighting of rats (Rattus norvegicus) and its defeminization neonatally by androgens.
Abstract
In rats (Rattus norvegicus), juvenile males engage in more play fighting (a male-typical behavior) than do juvenile females, and this difference is based on perinatal influences of androgens. We show that there are qualitative and quantitative differences between the sexes in the type of defensive responses and their manner of execution. In defensive responses rats try to avoid having their napes contacted by the partner's snout. The sex differences arise from females' greater response distance; that is, females responded to an approach when the partner's snout was further from the nape. This permits females to use different defensive responses and to use them more successfully. This greater response distance is defeminized by the neonatal administration of testosterone propionate. Our findings suggest that play fighting in rats has both male- and female-typical features and that these are, at least in part, influenced perinatally by androgens.
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It is unlikely that the procedures used in the present experiment account for the reversed sex difference.
“Given that the testing paradigm we used is the same as that which has been used to consistently show sex differences in the frequency of play fighting in Long Evans hooded rats (e.g., Pellis & Pellis, 1990;Pellis et al., 1994), it is unlikely that the procedures used in the present experiment account for the reversed sex difference.”
From Play fighting in androgen-insensitivetfm rats: Evidence that androgen receptors are necessary for the development of adult playful attack and defense (2006) · cites this paper as Pellis et al., 1994
Play fighting is a nonsexual behavior that is complex and contains some traits which are male typical and some which are female typical.
“Nonetheless, play fighting is a nonsexual behavior that is complex and contains some traits which are male typical and some which are female typical (Pellis et al., 1994;Smith et al., 1997Smith et al., , 1998))”
From Play fighting in androgen-insensitivetfm rats: Evidence that androgen receptors are necessary for the development of adult playful attack and defense (2006) · cites this paper as Pellis et al., 1994
One explanation for females' greater lateral rotation is females' greater capacities to sense the approach of an attacker and hence being more able to perform longer distance defence moves.
“one explanation of this being females’ greater capacities to sense the approach of an attacker ( Pellis et al., 1994) and hence being more able to perform longer distance defence moves ( Pellis et al., 1989, 1997).”
From Stage 2 Registered Report: Refinement of tickling protocols to improve positive animal welfare in laboratory rats (2025) · cites this paper as Pellis et al., 1994
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References 31 · Cited by 76
- Authors
- Pellis, S. M., Pellis, V. C., & McKenna, M. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Lethbridge (CA)
- Venue
- Journal of Comparative Psychology
- Published
- 1994
- Volume
- 108
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 68-73
- ISSN
- 0093-4127 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-2087
- 0735-7036
- OpenAlex
- W2068263797
- Cited by
- 76
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 1.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of comparative psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Sexual Differentiation and Disorders
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Keywords
- play fighting, sex differences, defensive behavior, testosterone propionate, young rats, social behavior development
- MeSH terms
- Aggression, Agonistic Behavior, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Body Weight, Female, Male, Play and Playthings, Sex Differentiation, Sexual Maturation, Testosterone, Rats
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