Copulatory behavior of male rats raised in isolation and subjected to partial decortication prior to the acquisition of sexual experience

This is part of a study the purpose of which is "to compare the relative effects of cortical destruction upon sexually-experienced and inexperienced male rats." In the present experiment 46 inexperienced animals were used which were raised in isolation between the time of weaning and the tests. 24 of these rats were subjected to partial decortication, and the remaining 22 were used as controls. At the age of about 120 days all animals were given 7 tests with receptive females during which 68% of the normal group and 25% of the previously operated group copulated. Comparing the results with those of a previous experiment the author concludes that "the copulatory behavior of virgin male rats raised in isolation and subjected to cortical destruction at maturity was closely comparable to the mating reactions of males partially decorticated after the acquisition of sexual experience. In both cases the proportion of post-operative copulators was inversely related to the percentage of cortex removed."