Perinatal hormone exposure alters the expression of selective affiliative preferences in prairie voles

In the present study, perinatal administration of corticosterone and testosterone significantly influenced affiliative preferences only in females. Despite the very high levels of steroids given, no significant differences were noted among treated and untreated groups of males. Prairie voles apparently are uniquely adapted to tolerate high levels of endogenous steroids. However, females of this species may be capable of exploiting variations in corticosterone levels to regulate sexually dimorphic traits, including social behaviors, in adulthood. Perinatal responsivity to adrenal hormones could allow animals to adapt their social behaviors, including traits that have been used to characterize monogamy and/or communal breeding, to environmental demands.