Sex Differences in Spatial Learning Strategies and Neural Activation in Amphibians

Diverse animal species use spatial learning to navigate their environment and reach survival-relevant goals. To achieve this, they employ different responses, such as egocentric turn and guidance strategies. In mammals, the hippocampus plays a central role in this type of learning, while in amphibians, the medial pallium has been proposed as a homologous structure. Historically, studies on spatial learning have been conducted predominantly in males, limiting our understanding of potential sex differences. In this study, male and female Rhinella arenarum terrestrial toads were trained in spatial learning tasks requiring use of turn or guidance strategies. We then analyzed neural activity in five selected brain structures (including the medial pallium) to identify differences in their activation. Results from the turn strategy experiment revealed sex differences in task learning, with males learning the task in fewer days than females, as well as greater medial pallium activation in the experimental groups compared to the control groups. In contrast, preliminary results from the guidance strategy experiment show a tendency for females to acquire the task in fewer days.