Hormones and behaviour

The endocrine system and nervous system share the common functions of the communication and
coordination both within the animal and between it and outside the body. The particular state of an
animal is determined by the particular hormones, which are circulating inside the body. These
hormones render the animal particularly sensitive to certain stimuli from the environment. The same
animal seems to be insensitive to the stimuli when these hormones are not available in the
circulating blood. This is particularly evident in the case of animals whose reproductive behaviour is
seasonal. Such an animal will show a very high positive response to the opposite sex during the
breeding season when the concentration of the sex hormone in the blood is at higher level. The
same animal will show no response to the presence of the opposite sex during the non-breeding
season when the sex hormone level is at a lower level.

Role of Hormones on parental behaviour

In many vertebrates, hormones regulate parental behaviour particularly maternal behaviour. Dove
for example, feed their young on ‘milk’ secreted by the inner lining of their crop. The secretion of the
milk is, of course, under the influence of the pituitary hormone, prolactin. Prolactin is also
responsible for the development of feeding behaviour. It has been shown that the engorgement of
crop with ‘milk’ is one of the factors that predispose doves to feed their squabs. The crop distension
induces the pituitary to secrete prolactin. If the nerve supply from the crop wall is temporarily
anaesthetized the tendency of dove to feed the young is reduced, most probably because crop
distension could not be detected by the pituitary and prolactin secretion stops. Similarly in dove,
progesterone secretion is important for the onset of incubationand if the level of this hormone is
low, the female will cease to sit over their eggs.

In female rabbits, nest building behaviour is triggered if the ratio between oestrogen and
progesterone is 1:4000. If the ratio is altered, (1:400) the female will stop to build brood nest.
Similarly in female mice,the mother gives maximum care and attention to the new born when the
level of prolactin in the blood is high. As the young becomes stronger as they grow, the females
mouse leaves them alone. This is associated with fall in prolactin secretion.

Role of hormone of Aggressive behaviour

Aggressive behaviour is definitely under the influence of male sex hormones. Male sex hormone,
testosterone can bring about aggressive behaviour in young animals. In most species males are more
aggressive than females. Castrations of male animals lead to considerable reductions in aggressive
behaviour.young cockerels, at an age when they would not yet normally have developed aggressive
tendencies to others, will show all the aggressive behaviour of a much older bird, when injected with
male hormone. Generally females are less aggressive than males. However neonatal injection of
testosterone, and to a lesser extent of estradiol, increases aggressiveness in females after maturity.

In social animals, individuals are ranked on the basis of their dominance. This is known as dominant
hierarchy. The most dominant will always be a male and it will have the highest concentration of
testosterone in the blood. In pigeon for example, if a low ranking bird is treated with testosterone, it
soon rises to a higher status in hierarchy and with sufficiently higher doses, it even moves up to the
highest rank in the order.