Comparison of direction and distance estimation across spatial tasks: Absence of sexually dimorphic self-movement cues processing

Abstract

Animals use many sources of information to maintain spatial orientation, including cues from the environment and cues generated by self-movement. In general, sexual dimorphisms have been observed in humans and rodents in tasks that afford access to environmental and self-movement cues. As of yet, no studies have directly compared sex differences in a task that restricts access to self-movement cues. The current study used motion capture software to characterize sex differences in a food-hoarding task under complete dark conditions, which require the use of self-movement cues. A similar analysis was applied to behavior observed in a place learning version of the water maze. Several sex differences in general aspects of performance were observed on both spatial tasks; however, there was no evidence of sex differences in measures of direction and distance estimation on either task. These results are discussed in light of several factors that may mediate sexual dimorphic performance in spatial tasks.