A neuroethological approach for studying mammalian social behavior and sexual dimorphism in the brain

Social behavior is crucial for the reproduction and survival of all mammalian species. The behavior of males and females differs in numerous ways, often most strikingly in social behaviors including mating, aggression and parenting. Yet, there is little mechanistic understanding of the relation between sex differences in the brain, and sex differences in social behaviors.

Current trends in modern social neuroscience have shifted towards a reliance on laboratory inbred mouse lines that are usually tested under socially and environmentally restricted lab conditions, measuring a small number of aspects in dyadic interactions. This approach is limited in scope and cannot truly portray the highly complex, dynamic and diverse social behavior exhibited by animals in nature.

We develop new approaches to study the underlying molecular and neuronal mechanism of social behavior in males and females using ethologically relevant methodologies, such as novel wild transgenic mouse models and semi-natural experimental set-ups. I will present the way we harness these new tools to study the mechanism underlying aggression and dominant- subordinate hierarchy in groups of mice.