Annual Karger Workshop / The Neurobiology of Reproductive Behavior

This publication explores the interaction of neural and endocrine mechanisms in reproductive development and expression. Several important processes are examined, including the differentiation of organisms into males and females, and the organization and evolution of gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuronal systems in vertebrates. Various contribution also focus on the similarities and differences between steroid mediated sexual differentiation in rodents and in the zebra finch; the long-term actions of sex steroids on membrane biophysical properties; the pathways by which social and environmental information, such as day length, can modulate the output of GnRH in frogs; and, in goldfish, the role of pheromones as sensory signals that act on the nervous system and influence both reproductive behaviour and hormonal states. Illustrating the enormous diversity in vertebrate reproductive patterns, this collection of papers provides stimulating reading and new ideas for future research.