Social condition affects the courtship behavior of male ring doves with posterior medial hypothalamic lesions

Following bilateral lesions to the posterior medial hypothalamus (homologue of the mammalian ventromedial nucleus), adult male ring doves regain full courtship behavior and the ability to stimulate female egg-laying when housed continuously with females. Males with PMH lesions housed singly and only tested periodically with females continue to show deficits in courtship. These findings suggest that the social environment present in adulthood itself can directly influence recovery from brain lesions. They also demonstrate the importance of PMH in the mediation of male ring dove courtship behavior.