ROLE OF THE ARCHISTRIATAL NUCLEUS TAENIAE IN THE SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR OF MALE JAPANESE-QUAIL (COTURNIX JAPONICA) - A COMPARISON OF FUNCTION WITHTHE MEDIAL NUCLEUS OF THE AMYGDALA IN MAMMALS

Nucleus taeniae (Tn) is a prominent cell group within the medial archi striatum of birds. Based upon similarities in sex-steroid binding site s, this nucleus has been hypothesized to be homologous to the medial n ucleus of the amygdala (Me) in mammals, which is known to modulate the expression of sexual behavior in rodents. We therefore tested whether or not Tn likewise plays a role in the expression of sexual behavior in male Japanese quail. We found that bilateral damage to Tn produced deficits in several components of male responses toward female stimuli that were indicative of decreased sexual arousal, including goal-orie nted responses, vocalizations associated with courtship, and motor ref lexes that precede copulation. Our results suggest that Tn influences a wide range of behavioral functions in response to sexual stimuli, an d they indicate a function for this nucleus similar to that subserved by the Me in mammals. These results strengthen the argument that these sex-steroid accumulating cell groups are homologous and suggest a con servation of function for them despite the vastly divergent evolutiona ry histories separating birds and mammals.