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A sex difference in the hypothalamus of the spotted hyena

Nature Neuroscience volume 2, pages 943–945 (1999)Cite this article

Abstract

The female spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) presents the most highly 'masculinized' external genitalia of any extant mammal; the female has a large, fully erectile clitoris through which she gives birth, urinates and copulates. Contemporary understanding suggests that naturally circulating androgens, during critical stages of development, account for this unusual morphology. Androgens found in the female spotted hyena might also be expected to 'masculinize' the brain, particulary in regions linked with sexual behavior and found to be dimorphic in many other species, the medial preoptic area and adjacent anterior hypothalomus (mPOA/AH). However, the sexual behavior of female spotted hyenas does not indicate hypothalamic masculinization. Within the hyena mPOA/AH we found a sexually dimorphic nucleus (hSDN) that was twofold larger in males. Compared to the sex differences in other mammals this difference is modest; androgen exposure may partly, but not completely, masculinize the hypothalamus of female spotted hyenas.

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Figure 1: Female versus male mounting behaviors.
Figure 2: Location and sex differences of the hyena sexually dimorphic nucleus (hSDN).

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the cooperation of the Kenyan Wildlife Service and chief veterinarian Richard Kock. We also thank Lynn Bengston, Joong-Jean Park, Paul Barber, Arnold Towe and Geoffrey Raisman for help on various aspects of this project. Supported by NIH grants MH-39917, HD33044 and HD01188.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, 10003, New York, USA

    S. B. Fenstemaker

  2. Center for Neuroendocrine Studies and Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Tobin Hall, Amherst, 01003, Massachusetts, USA

    S. L. Zup & N. G. Forger

  3. Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, 94720, California, USA

    L. G. Frank & S. E. Glickman

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  1. S. B. Fenstemaker
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  2. S. L. Zup
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  3. L. G. Frank
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  4. S. E. Glickman
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  5. N. G. Forger
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Correspondence to N. G. Forger.

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Fenstemaker, S., Zup, S., Frank, L. et al. A sex difference in the hypothalamus of the spotted hyena. Nat Neurosci 2, 943–945 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/14728

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