Plasma Testosterone, Dominance Rank and Aggressive Behaviour in Male Rhesus Monkeys

Rose, Robert M.; Holaday, John W.; Bernstein, Irwin S.

doi:10.1038/231366a0

Cited by 384 publications

(92 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…For example, correlational studies in male primates examining dominance rank have shown that high-ranking individuals produce higher levels of testosterone than their lower ranked counterparts (e.g. Eastern common chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii: Muller and Wrangham 2004; Rhesus monkey, Macaca mulatta: Rose, Holaday, and Bernstein 1971). Similar correlational effects between testosterone and dominance have been documented among a range of other species including birds (Harding 1983), and hamsters, dogs and deer (Rada, Kellner, and Winslow 1976).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Self-reported Dominance in Women: Associations with Hormonal Contraceptive use, Relationship Status, and Testosterone

Cobey

Nicholls

Leongoméz

et al. 2015

Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology

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How to achieve dominance in a group is a recurrent challenge for individuals of many species, including humans. Previous research indicates that both relationship status and contraceptive use appear to moderate women's testosterone levels. If testosterone contributes to dominance, this raises the possibility for group differences in dominance between single and partnered women, and between users and non-users of hormonal contraception. Here, we examine associations between relationship status and use/non-use of hormonal contraception and women's self-reported social dominance. In a sample of 84 women, we replicate previous research documenting a significant positive correlation between women's saliva testosterone levels and their selfreported dominance. Consistent with other literature, we also find that women using hormonal contraception have significantly lower testosterone than those who are regularly cycling and that partnered women have significantly lower testosterone than single women. Although we do not find a main effect of either relationship status or hormonal contraceptive use status on women's reported levels of dominance, the interaction between these variables predicted reported dominance scores. This interaction remained significant when participant age and testosterone values were added to the model as covariates. We discuss these results in the context of the existing literature on testosterone and women's dominance behaviour and with respect to the evolutionary benefits of social dominance in women.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Self-reported Dominance in Women: Associations with Hormonal Contraceptive use, Relationship Status, and Testosterone

Cobey

Nicholls

Leongoméz

et al. 2015

Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology

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show abstract

“…In previous studies, surgical [2,29,36,50], physical [11,13,28,38,39], and social stress [43][44][45] resulted in decreased plasma levels of gonadotropins, inhibin and/or testosterone in humans, male primates and rats. However, in the present study, plasma levels of inhibin significantly increased on day 3 after vasectomy.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Short Period Vasectomy on FSH, LH, Inhibin and Testosterone Secretions, and Sperm Motility in Adult Male Rats

et al. 2011

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The present study was undertaken to clarify changes in secretions of FSH, LH, inhibin and testosterone, and sperm motility after bilateral vasectomy in adult male rats. Bilateral vasectomy was created surgically (treated group) and intact rats were used as control (control group). On days 3,5,7,14,30, 60, and 90 after surgery, plasma concentrations of FSH, LH, inhibin, and testosterone were measured by radioimmunoassay, and sperm motility characteristics were measured by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA). The results show that weights of epididymides significantly increased in vasectomized rats as compared to control rats. Histologically, damage to spermatogenesis was observed in vasectomized rats. Multinucleated giant cells were observed in the lumen of some seminiferous tubules, and there were degenerative spermatids in the epididymides of vasectomized rats. Plasma levels of LH, FSH, and testosterone only decreased on day 3 after vasectomy; however, plasma levels of ir-inhibin significantly increased on day 3 after vasectomy. In addition, the sperm motility parameters, straight-line velocity, curvilinear velocity, deviation of the sperm head from the mean trajectory and the maximum amplitude of lateral head displacement were decreased from day 60 after vasectomy. These results suggest that vasectomy reduces sperm motility starting from day 60 after vasectomy, and early bilateral vasectomy does not strongly affect the endocrine function of the testis, though it may result in damage to spermatogenesis in vasectomized rats.

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“…Traditional biological explanations suggest that male dominance is an attribute whose genetic mechanism spread because it conferred a reproductive advantage to its carriers. Support for a biological model lies in data that suggest that dominance hierarchies are universal in human societies (Lumsden & Wilson, 1981); dominance appears to be an attribute of the male role in all human cultures (Maccohy & Jacklin, 1974); male sex hormones are associated with an increased masculinization of anatomical and behavioral traits, including an increase in dominance behaviors and the attainment of rank (Ehrhardt & Meyer-Bahlburg, 1980;Rose, Gordon, & Bernstein, 1972;Rose, Holaday, & Bernstein, 1971;Rubin, Reinisch, & Haskett, 1980); display of rank, skill, and achievement by men are commonly part of the human courtship ritual (Daly & Wilson, 1983); and females appear to be attracted to dominant males in the majority of primate species (Symonds, 1979;Wilson, 1975).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dominance and heterosexual attraction.

Sadalla

Kenrick

Vershure

1987

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

413

246

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Four experiments examined the relation between behavioral expressions of dominance and the heterosexual attractiveness of males and females. Predictions concerning the relation between dominance and heterosexual attraction were derived from a consideration of sex role norms and from the comparative biological literature. All four experiments indicated an interaction between dominance and sex of target. Dominance behavior increased the attractiveness of males, but had no effect on the attractiveness of females. The third study indicated that the effect did not depend on the sex of the rater or on the sex of those with whom the dominant target interacted. The fourth study showed that the effect was specific to dominance as an independent variable and did not occur for related constructs (aggressive or domineering). This study also found that manipulated dominance enhanced only a male's sexual attractiveness and not his general Usability. The results were discussed in terms of potential biological and cultural causal mechanisms.

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Plasma Testosterone, Dominance Rank and Aggressive Behaviour in Male Rhesus Monkeys

Cited by 384 publications

References 16 publications

Self-reported Dominance in Women: Associations with Hormonal Contraceptive use, Relationship Status, and Testosterone

Self-reported Dominance in Women: Associations with Hormonal Contraceptive use, Relationship Status, and Testosterone

Effect of Short Period Vasectomy on FSH, LH, Inhibin and Testosterone Secretions, and Sperm Motility in Adult Male Rats

Dominance and heterosexual attraction.

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