The view that female mammals are more docile appears to arise in part from
imposing human values on animal studies. Many reports of sexual dimorphism
in physical aggression favouring the male in laboratory rodents appear to s
elect circumstances where that expectation is supported. Other situations t
hat favour the expression of conflict in females have been (until recently)
relatively little studied. Although female rodents generally do not show t
he "ritualised" forms of conflict that characterise male sexual competition
, they can use notably damaging strategies (especially if they are of short
duration). Such considerations might weigh in the selection of strategies
by our own species.