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Hawkes K. Life history impacts on infancy and the evolution of human social cognition. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1197378. [PMID: 38023007 PMCID: PMC10666779 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1197378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Greater longevity, slower maturation and shorter birth intervals are life history features that distinguish humans from the other living members of our hominid family, the great apes. Theory and evidence synthesized here suggest the evolution of those features can explain both our bigger brains and our cooperative sociality. I rely on Sarah Hrdy's hypothesis that survival challenges for ancestral infants propelled the evolution of distinctly human socioemotional appetites and Barbara Finlay and colleagues' findings that mammalian brain size is determined by developmental duration. Similar responsiveness to varying developmental contexts in chimpanzee and human one-year-olds suggests similar infant responsiveness in our nearest common ancestor. Those ancestral infants likely began to acquire solid food while still nursing and fed themselves at weaning as chimpanzees and other great apes do now. When human ancestors colonized habitats lacking foods that infants could handle, dependents' survival became contingent on subsidies. Competition to engage subsidizers selected for capacities and tendencies to enlist and maintain social connections during the early wiring of expanding infant brains with lifelong consequences that Hrdy labeled "emotionally modern" social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Hawkes
- Department of Anthropology, College of Social and Behavioral Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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2
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Han C, Li X, Chen X, Lei X, Liao C, Zhang L, Li B, Peng X, Morrison ER. The Autumn Years: Age Differences in Preferences for Sexually Dimorphic Faces. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:2813-2821. [PMID: 34791579 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02168-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Life history theory proposes that it is adaptive for older people to shift investment away from reproductive effort (such as mating) to survivorship. However, it remains unclear whether the shift is also present at the psychological level. We investigated this question by comparing preferences for mate choice-relevant cues, sexually dimorphic facial images, between older (60 years and older, n = 92) and younger adults (18-40 years, n = 86). Results showed that older adults had significantly smaller preferences for sexually dimorphic faces of both sexes than young adults. Specifically, both older men and women showed no significant preferences for sexually dimorphic traits when judging opposite-sex faces, and smaller preferences for masculine male faces and feminine female faces when judging same-sex faces. Young adults generally showed strong preferences for masculine male faces and feminine female faces. In Study 2, we confirmed that the absent/reduced preferences in older adults for sexually dimorphic faces did not result from poor visual ability. The smaller preferences for sexually dimorphic facial cues in older adults compared to young adults suggest that older adults may shift away from mating-oriented psychology as they become less fertile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyang Han
- Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiangqian Li
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200438, China.
| | - Xiyue Chen
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Development and Public Policy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xue Lei
- School of Business Administration, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chuanjing Liao
- Department of Mental Health Education, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Lingshan Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Bingxin Li
- Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
| | - Xian Peng
- National Engineering Laboratory for Educational Big Data, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Edward R Morrison
- Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
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Tomiyasu J, Kayano M, Hazano K, Matsui M, Nemoto Y, Naganuma T, Koike S, Yamazaki K. Associations between plasma testosterone levels and season, nutritional status, age, and body size in free-ranging male Asian black bears (Ursus thibetanus) in central Honshu, Japan. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 309:113794. [PMID: 33887270 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone is an important regulator of male reproduction in terms of spermatogenesis and physiological changes in the accessory reproductive organs. Despite the important role of the testosterone level in male reproduction, testosterone levels vary among male bears even during the breeding season, and the causative underlying factors remain unknown. We postulated that testosterone levels are higher during the breeding season than during other seasons in free-ranging male bears, and that testosterone levels increase with advancing age, larger body size, and better nutritional status. We assessed potential factors (season, time of sampling, body condition index, head circumference, and age) associated with the testosterone level in 80 blood samples collected from free-ranging Asian black bears (Ursus thibetanus) captured in barrel traps in the Ashio-Nikko Mountains and Okutama Mountains in central Honshu Island, Japan. The plasma testosterone level was higher during the breeding season (May-July) than during the non-breeding season (August-November). The body condition index was significantly and positively associated with the plasma testosterone level. None of the other factors were significantly associated with the plasma testosterone level. Therefore, the body condition index may be essential for maintaining high plasma testosterone levels. These findings imply that testosterone secretion might be activated in free-ranging males during the breeding season, and animals with good nutritional status may be able to maintain high plasma testosterone levels. This study uncovered an association between nutritional conditions and reproductive activity in male bears.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jumpei Tomiyasu
- Department of Biodiversity Protection, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn 10-748, Poland
| | - Mitsunori Kayano
- Research Center for Global Agromedicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Ken Hazano
- Department of Applied Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Motozumi Matsui
- Department of Applied Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Yui Nemoto
- Okutama Practice Forest, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Okutama Town, Tokyo 198-0212, Japan
| | - Tomoko Naganuma
- Institute of Global Innovation Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Koike
- Institute of Global Innovation Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan; Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Koji Yamazaki
- Department of Forest Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan.
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Bribiescas RG. Evolutionary and Life History Insights into Masculinity and Warfare. CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1086/711688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Male Factors: the Role of Sperm in Preimplantation Embryo Quality. Reprod Sci 2020; 28:1788-1811. [DOI: 10.1007/s43032-020-00334-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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7
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Lemaître JF, Gaillard JM, Ramm SA. The hidden ageing costs of sperm competition. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1573-1588. [PMID: 32906225 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Ageing and sexual selection are intimately linked. There is by now compelling evidence from studies performed across diverse organisms that males allocating resources to mating competition incur substantial physiological costs, ultimately increasing ageing. However, although insightful, we argue here that to date these studies cover only part of the relationship linking sexual selection and ageing. Crucially, allocation to traits important in post-copulatory sexual selection, that is sperm competition, has been largely ignored. As we demonstrate, such allocation could potentially explain much diversity in male and female ageing patterns observed both within and among species. We first review how allocation to sperm competition traits such as sperm and seminal fluid production depends on the quality of resources available to males and can be associated with a wide range of deleterious effects affecting both somatic tissues and the germline, and thus modulate ageing in both survival and reproductive terms. We further hypothesise that common biological features such as plasticity, prudent sperm allocation and seasonality of ejaculate traits might have evolved as counter-adaptations to limit the ageing costs of sperm competition. Finally, we discuss the implications of these emerging ageing costs of sperm competition for current research on the evolutionary ecology of ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Lemaître
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France
| | - Steven A Ramm
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
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Milich KM, Ruiz-Lambides A, Maldonado E, Maestripieri D. Age negatively impacts reproduction in high-ranking male rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13044. [PMID: 32747726 PMCID: PMC7398901 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69922-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on sexual selection theory, the reproductive potential of male primates is expected to be limited by access to fertile females. Alpha males, the highest ranking males in a social group, are predicted to have better access to mates and produce more offspring until they are no longer dominant, which usually corresponds with age. Little is known about male reproductive senescence independent of rank changes in nonhuman primates. Here, we examine variation in the reproductive success of high-ranking male rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago. We recorded behavioral data for 21 adult males across 9 social groups during the 2013 mating season. Additionally, we used paternity data from the long-term database to determine the number of offspring each subject sired over his lifetime and during the study period. Older high-ranking males in stable groups had fewer offspring than younger high-ranking males in stable groups in 2013. The low reproductive output for the older males was not a result of lower mating effort, and reproductive output in 2013 was not predicted by total prior reproductive success. Our results provide novel evidence of post-copulatory reproductive senescence in high-ranking male nonhuman primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista M Milich
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA. .,Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | | | - Elizabeth Maldonado
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Sugianto NA, Newman C, Macdonald DW, Buesching CD. Reproductive and Somatic Senescence in the European Badger (Meles meles): Evidence from Lifetime Sex-Steroid Profiles. ZOOLOGY 2020; 141:125803. [PMID: 32574816 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2020.125803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Among the Carnivora, there is sparse evidence for any substantive fitness benefits of post reproductive lifespan (PRLS, survival after reproductive cessation, RC). Using the European badger (Meles meles) as a model species, we analyzed sex-specific cross-sectional endocrinological and morphological data to investigate: 1) age-dependent reproductive decline in sex-steroid levels versus prime reproductive age; 2) age-dependent declines in somatic condition and reproductive advertisement (from subcaudal scent gland secretion); 3) changes in reproductive success with age due to somatic and endocrinological decline; 4) occurrence of RC, PRLS, and post reproductive representation (PrR) in the population with reference to pre-pubescent hormone levels and evidenced by fewer cub assignments from pedigree. We provide strong evidence for a gradual, not abrupt, decline in sex-steroid levels with age, with both sexes following a concave (down) quadratic trend. For both sexes, the onset of decline in somatic condition commenced at the age of 3 years. In contrast, decline in reproductive hormones started at age ca. 5.5 years in females and 6 years in males, with similar rates of decline thereafter. Subcaudal gland secretion volume also decreased in both sexes, especially after age 5, suggesting less investment in reproductive advertisement. After age 3, fewer (surviving) females were assigned cubs. This coincided with the onset of somatic decline but came earlier than hormonal decline (5.5 years onwards). The decrease in offspring assignments commenced later in males at age 5-6 years; concomitant with onset of testosterone decline at 6 years. This suggests that, contrary to females, in males declining body condition does not preclude reproductive success (no 'restraint') in advance of hormonal senescence ('constraint'). There was evidence of female PRLS, with very old adults living up to 2.59 ± 1.29 years after RC; although in males this evidence was weaker. We discuss the implications of these findings for RC and PRLS in the context of adaptive and non-adaptive hypotheses. There was evidence of over 2 years of Post Reproductive Life Span in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Adrianna Sugianto
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK.
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Breschi M, Fornasin A, Gonano G, Mazzoni S, Manfredini M. Male fertility between biology and the socioeconomic context news from the past (Alghero, 1866-1935). ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2020; 37:100833. [PMID: 31911379 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2019.100833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In the process of fertility decline, the role and participation of men have hardly been considered in the demographic literature. It has grown only as fertility was dropping dramatically in most Western countries, but very little has been done to analyze such an issue in historical populations. Based on individual-level data, the present paper aims at investigating, by means of hazard models, the role of males in the reproductive pattern of the pre-transitional population of Alghero, Sardinia (1866-1935). The results show a slower decrease of male fertility (-23% at 40-49 years; around -50% at 50+) compared to female fertility (about -40% already at 35-49 years), with significant differentials by socioeconomic status (SES). Wealthier men present, in fact, lower fertility than poorest ones, with a gap that, however, reduces with age and even reverses at 50+ years. The reason for such a change is likely to be partly associated with the better health conditions of the wealthy group, developed especially in adulthood, given the absence of a significant relationship between height and fertility SES differentials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - S Mazzoni
- Institute of Economics, Geography and Demography (IEGD-CCHS-CSIC), Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain
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Alvarado LC, Valeggia CR, Ellison PT, Lewarch CL, Muller MN. A Comparison of men’s Life History, Aging, and Testosterone Levels among Datoga Pastoralists, Hadza Foragers, and Qom Transitional Foragers. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-019-00116-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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12
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Garay J, Számadó S, Varga Z, Szathmáry E. Caring for parents: an evolutionary rationale. BMC Biol 2018; 16:53. [PMID: 29764437 PMCID: PMC5953408 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0519-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The evolutionary roots of human moral behavior are a key precondition to understanding human nature. Investigations usually start with a social dilemma and end up with a norm that can provide some insight into the origin of morality. We take the opposite direction by investigating whether the cultural norm that promotes helping parents and which is respected in different variants across cultures and is codified in several religions can spread through Darwinian competition. RESULTS We show with a novel demographic model that the biological rule "During your reproductive period, give some of your resources to your post-fertile parents" will spread even if the cost of support given to post-fertile grandmothers considerably decreases the demographic parameters of fertile parents but radically increases the survival rate of grandchildren. The teaching of vital cultural content is likely to have been critical in making grandparental service valuable. We name this the Fifth Rule, after the Fifth Commandment that codifies such behaviors in Christianity. CONCLUSIONS Selection for such behavior may have produced an innate moral tendency to honor parents even in situations, such as those experienced today, when the quantitative conditions would not necessarily favor the maintenance of this trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Garay
- MTA-ELTE Theoretical Biology and Evolutionary Ecology Research Group and Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology, L. Eötvös University, Pázmány P. sétány 1/C, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Evolutionary Systems Research Group, Klebelsberg Kuno utca 3, Tihany, 8237, Hungary
| | - S Számadó
- RECENS "Lendület" Research Group, MTA Centre for Social Science, Tóth Kálmán u. 4, Budapest, H-1097, Hungary
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Evolutionary Systems Research Group, Klebelsberg Kuno utca 3, Tihany, 8237, Hungary
| | - Z Varga
- Department of Mathematics, Szent István University, Páter K. u. 1, Gödöllő, H-2103, Hungary
| | - E Szathmáry
- Parmenides Center for the Conceptual Foundations of Science, Kirchplatz 1, 82049, Pullach/Munich, Germany.
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Evolutionary Systems Research Group, Klebelsberg Kuno utca 3, Tihany, 8237, Hungary.
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Lawson DW, Nuñez-de la Mora A, Cooper GD, Prentice AM, Moore SE, Sear R. Marital Status and Sleeping Arrangements Predict Salivary Testosterone Levels in Rural Gambian Men. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-017-0066-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Gettler LT, Sarma MS, Gengo RG, Oka RC, McKenna JJ. Adiposity, CVD risk factors and testosterone: Variation by partnering status and residence with children in US men. Evol Med Public Health 2017; 2017:67-80. [PMID: 28435680 PMCID: PMC5397396 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eox005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives: In many settings, partnered, invested fathers have lower testosterone than single men or fathers who are not involved in caregiving. Reduced testosterone has been identified as a risk factor for multiple chronic diseases, and men's health also commonly varies by life history status. There have been few tests of whether variation in testosterone based on partnering and parenting has implications for men's health. Methodology: We analysed data from a US population-representative sample (NHANES) of young-to-middle aged US men (n = 875; mean age: 29.8 years ± 6.0 [SD]). We tested for life history status differences in testosterone, adiposity levels and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD)-risk (HDL cholesterol; triglycerides; white blood cell count [WBC]). Results: Partnered men residing with children (RC) had lower testosterone and elevated abdominal adiposity compared to never married men not residing with children. While they did not significantly differ for WBC or triglycerides, partnered RC men also had comparatively lower HDL. Partnered RC males' lower testosterone accounted for their relatively elevated adiposity, but testosterone, adiposity, and health-related covariates did not explain their relatively reduced HDL. Conclusions and implications: Our results linking life history status-based differences in testosterone and adiposity, alongside our complementary HDL findings, indicate that testosterone-related psychobiology might have implications for partnered RC men's CVD risk in the US and other similar societal settings. These types of socially contextualized observations of men's health and physiological function particularly merit incorporation in clinical discussions of fatherhood as a component of men's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Mallika S Sarma
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Rieti G Gengo
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Helen B. Kellogg Institute for International Studies, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Rahul C Oka
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Helen B. Kellogg Institute for International Studies, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - James J McKenna
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
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Pazhoohi F, Jahromi AS, Doyle JF. Mate Retention Tactics Decline with Age of Iranian Men. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-016-0046-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Marcinkowska UM, Dixson BJ, Kozlov MV, Prasai K, Rantala MJ. Men's Preferences for Female Facial Femininity Decline With Age. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2015; 72:180-186. [PMID: 26320118 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbv077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Women tend to have a smaller chin, fuller lips, and rounder eyes than men, due in part to the effects of estrogen. These features associated with facial femininity have been found to be positively associated with fertility. Although young men in their 20s typically judge facial femininity as more attractive than facial masculinity, at all ages, men with higher sexual desire and testosterone levels tend to show a marked preference for feminine faces. In the current study, we extend this research using a large cross-national sample to test the hypothesis that facial femininity preferences will be stronger among younger men than among older men. We also tested whether these preferences are influenced by self-reported sexual openness, national health indices, and gross national income. METHOD We quantified attractiveness judgments (i.e., preferences) among 2,125 heterosexual men (aged 17-73 years) for female faces that were manipulated to appear more or less feminine using a computer graphics program. RESULTS Facial femininity preferences decreased with age, being highest among men in their 30s and lowest among men in their 70s. This pattern was independent of men's sexual openness and cross-national variation in health and socioeconomic development. DISCUSSION Our study shows that men's preferences for facial femininity are age dependent. At the proximate level, differences in preferences could reflect age-related declines in testosterone levels. These age-related declines in preferences could benefit older men, who are less able to invest in mating effort, and thus may opt out of competition with younger men for mates with potentially higher fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urszula M Marcinkowska
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland. .,Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - Barnaby J Dixson
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Mikhail V Kozlov
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
| | | | - Markus J Rantala
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland.,Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Finland
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Vinicius L, Mace R, Migliano A. Variation in male reproductive longevity across traditional societies. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112236. [PMID: 25405763 PMCID: PMC4236073 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Most accounts of human life history propose that women have short reproductive spans relative to their adult lifespans, while men not only remain fertile but carry on reproducing until late life. Here we argue that studies have overlooked evidence for variation in male reproductive ageing across human populations. We apply a Bayesian approach to census data from Agta hunter-gatherers and Gambian farmers to show that long post-reproductive lifespans characterise not only women but also males in some traditional human populations. We calculate three indices of reproductive ageing in men (oldest age at reproduction, male late-life reproduction, and post-reproductive representation) and identify a continuum of male reproductive longevity across eight traditional societies ranging from !Kung, Hadza and Agta hunter-gatherers exhibiting low levels of polygyny, early age at last reproduction and long post-reproductive lifespans, to male Gambian agriculturalists and Turkana pastoralists showing higher levels of polygyny, late-life reproduction and shorter post-reproductive lifespans. We conclude that the uniquely human detachment between rates of somatic senescence and reproductive decline, and the existence of post-reproductive lifespans, are features of both male and female life histories, and therefore not exclusive consequences of menopause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucio Vinicius
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth Mace
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Migliano
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Behringer V, Deschner T, Deimel C, Stevens JMG, Hohmann G. Age-related changes in urinary testosterone levels suggest differences in puberty onset and divergent life history strategies in bonobos and chimpanzees. Horm Behav 2014; 66:525-33. [PMID: 25086337 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Revised: 07/19/2014] [Accepted: 07/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Research on age-related changes in morphology, social behavior, and cognition suggests that the development of bonobos (Pan paniscus) is delayed in comparison to chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). However, there is also evidence for earlier reproductive maturation in bonobos. Since developmental changes such as reproductive maturation are induced by a number of endocrine processes, changes in hormone levels are indicators of different developmental stages. Age-related changes in testosterone excretion are an indirect marker for the onset of puberty in human and non-human primates. In this study we investigated patterns of urinary testosterone levels in male and female bonobos and chimpanzees to determine the onset of puberty. In contrast to other studies, we found that both species experience age-related changes in urinary testosterone levels. Older individuals of both sexes had significantly higher urinary testosterone levels than younger individuals, indicating that bonobos and chimpanzees experience juvenile pause. The males of both species showed a similar pattern of age-related changes in urinary testosterone levels, with a sharp increase in levels around the age of eight years. This suggests that species-differences in aggression and male mate competition evolved independently of developmental changes in testosterone levels. Females showed a similar pattern of age-related urinary testosterone increase. However, in female bonobos the onset was about three years earlier than in female chimpanzees. The earlier rise of urinary testosterone levels in female bonobos is in line with reports of their younger age of dispersal, and suggests that female bonobos experience puberty at a younger age than female chimpanzees.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Behringer
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - T Deschner
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - C Deimel
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University Bloomington, 701 E Kirkwood Ave Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - J M G Stevens
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, K. Astridplein 26, B 2018, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - G Hohmann
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Primatology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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Gettler LT, McDade TW, Feranil AB, Agustin SS, Kuzawa CW. Salivary estradiol and testosterone in Filipino men: Diurnal patterns and relationships with adiposity. Am J Hum Biol 2014; 26:376-83. [PMID: 24573919 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Revised: 01/25/2014] [Accepted: 02/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We used detailed saliva sampling procedures to test for diurnal changes in men's salivary estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) and assessed whether greater adiposity predicted higher E2 and T. METHODS We drew on a subsample of young adults enrolled in a long-running birth cohort study in Metro Cebu, Philippines. Subjects provided saliva samples at four time points during the day (waking, waking +40 min, early evening, and bedtime), which were assayed for E2 and T. Using these detailed hormonal data, we calculated E2 (n = 29) and T (n = 44) area-under-the-curve values, which provide insights on hormonal production over the study period. RESULTS While T declined immediately after waking and reached a nadir in the early evening, E2 did not show significant diurnal change (P ≥ 0.1) but was positively correlated to T at multiple time points (P ≤ 0.05). Subjects with higher adiposity (BMI, waist circumference, skinfolds) had elevated E2 secretion throughout the day (P ≤ 0.01), but adiposity was not related to salivary T. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with past research, our results indicate that adipose tissue is a significant site of E2 production in males but differ from a limited number of prior studies of young men in that we did not find lower T with increasing adiposity. Given E2's role in male hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal function and complex interfaces with the immune system, these results have important implications for models of male life history as rates of overweight and obesity rise in populations around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Indiana
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20
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Testosterone, Immune Function, and Life History Transitions in Filipino Males (Homo sapiens). INT J PRIMATOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-014-9749-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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21
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Tecot SR, Gerber BD, King SJ, Verdolin JL, Wright PC. Risky business: sex differences in mortality and dispersal in a polygynous, monomorphic lemur. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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22
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Higham JP, Heistermann M, Maestripieri D. The endocrinology of male rhesus macaque social and reproductive status: a test of the challenge and social stress hypotheses. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013; 67:19-30. [PMID: 24634561 PMCID: PMC3950204 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1420-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Social status primarily determines male mammalian reproductive success, and hypotheses on the endocrinology of dominance have stimulated unprecedented investigation of its costs and benefits. Under the challenge hypothesis, male testosterone levels rise according to competitive need, while the social stress hypothesis predicts glucocorticoid (GC) rises in high ranking individuals during social unrest. Periods of social instability in group-living primates, primarily in baboons, provide evidence for both hypotheses, but data on social instability in seasonally-breeding species with marked social despotism but lower reproductive skew are lacking. We tested these hypotheses in seasonally-breeding rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. We documented male fecal GC and androgen levels over a 10 month period in relation to rank, age, natal status and group tenure length, including during a socially unstable period in which coalitions of lower-ranked males attacked higher-ranked males. Androgen but not GC levels rose during the mating season; older males had lower birth season levels but underwent a greater inter-season rise than younger males. Neither endocrine measure was related to rank except during social instability, when higher ranked individuals had higher and more variable levels of both. High ranking male targets had the highest GC levels of all males when targeted, and also had high and variable GC and androgen levels across the instability period. Our results provide evidence for both the challenge and social stress hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Higham
- Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, 940 East 57 Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA ; Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Reproductive Biology Unit, German Primate Centre, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dario Maestripieri
- Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, 940 East 57 Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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23
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Marlowe FW, Berbesque JC. The human operational sex ratio: Effects of marriage, concealed ovulation, and menopause on mate competition. J Hum Evol 2012; 63:834-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2011] [Revised: 09/19/2012] [Accepted: 09/19/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Bribiescas RG, Ellison PT, Gray PB. Male Life History, Reproductive Effort, and the Evolution of the Genus Homo. CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1086/667538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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25
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26
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Eisenberg DTA. An evolutionary review of human telomere biology: the thrifty telomere hypothesis and notes on potential adaptive paternal effects. Am J Hum Biol 2011; 23:149-67. [PMID: 21319244 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.21127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2010] [Revised: 08/03/2010] [Accepted: 09/30/2010] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres, repetitive DNA sequences found at the ends of linear chromosomes, play a role in regulating cellular proliferation, and shorten with increasing age in proliferating human tissues. The rate of age-related shortening of telomeres is highest early in life and decreases with age. Shortened telomeres are thought to limit the proliferation of cells and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Although natural selection is widely assumed to operate against long telomeres because they entail increased cancer risk, the evidence for this is mixed. Instead, here it is proposed that telomere length is primarily limited by energetic constraints. Cell proliferation is energetically expensive, so shorter telomeres should lead to a thrifty phenotype. Shorter telomeres are proposed to restrain adaptive immunity as an energy saving mechanism. Such a limited immune system, however, might also result in chronic infections, inflammatory stress, premature aging, and death--a more "disposable soma." With an increased reproductive lifespan, the fitness costs of premature aging are higher and longer telomeres will be favored by selection. Telomeres exhibit a paternal effect whereby the offspring of older fathers have longer telomeres due to increased telomere lengths of sperm with age. This paternal effect is proposed to be an adaptive signal of the expected age of male reproduction in the environment offspring are born into. The offspring of lineages of older fathers will tend to have longer, and thereby less thrifty, telomeres, better preparing them for an environment with higher expected ages at reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan T A Eisenberg
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208-1330, USA.
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27
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Bribiescas RG. An evolutionary and life history perspective on human male reproductive senescence. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2010; 1204:54-64. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05524.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Bribiescas RG, Hill KR. Circadian variation in salivary testosterone across age classes in Ache Amerindian males of Paraguay. Am J Hum Biol 2010; 22:216-20. [PMID: 19957265 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.21012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Testosterone levels exhibit a circadian rhythm in healthy men, with morning levels tending to be higher compared to evening titers. However, circadian rhythms wane with age. Although this has been described in males living within industrialized settings, age-related changes have not received similar attention in populations outside these contexts. Because many nonindustrialized populations, such as Ache Amerindians of Paraguay, exhibit testosterone levels that are lower than what is commonly reported in the clinical literature and lack age-associated variation in testosterone, it was hypothesized that Ache men would not show age-related variation in testosterone circadian rhythms. Diurnal rhythmicity in testosterone within and between Ache men in association with age (n = 52; age range, 18-64) was therefore examined. A significant negative association was evident between the ratio of morning and evening salivary testosterone and age (r = -0.28, P = 0.04). Men in their third decade of life exhibited significant diurnal variation (P = 0.0003), whereas older and younger age classes did not. Men between the ages of 30 and 39 also exhibited a higher AM:PM testosterone ratio compared to 40-49 and 50< year old men (P = 0.002, 0.006). Overall, declines in testosterone with aging may not be universal among human males, however, within-individual analyses of diurnal variation capture age-related contrasts in daily testosterone fluctuations. Circadian rhythmicity differs with age among the Ache and may be a common aspect of reproductive senescence among men regardless of ecological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard G Bribiescas
- Reproductive Ecology Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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29
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Graves BM. Ritualized combat as an indicator of intrasexual selection effects on male life history evolution. Am J Hum Biol 2010; 22:45-9. [DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
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30
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Beehner JC, Gesquiere L, Seyfarth RM, Cheney DL, Alberts SC, Altmann J. Testosterone related to age and life-history stages in male baboons and geladas. Horm Behav 2009; 56:472-80. [PMID: 19712676 PMCID: PMC3630238 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2009] [Revised: 08/11/2009] [Accepted: 08/12/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Despite significant advances in our knowledge of how testosterone mediates life-history trade-offs, this research has primarily focused on seasonal taxa. We know comparatively little about the relationship between testosterone and life-history stages for non-seasonally breeding species. Here we examine testosterone profiles across the life span of males from three non-seasonally breeding primates: yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus or P. hamadryas cynocephalus), chacma baboons (Papio ursinus or P. h. ursinus), and geladas (Theropithecus gelada). First, we predict that testosterone profiles will track the reproductive profiles of each taxon across their respective breeding years. Second, we evaluate age-related changes in testosterone to determine whether several life-history transitions are associated with these changes. Subjects include males (>2.5 years) from wild populations of each taxon from whom we had fecal samples for hormone determination. Although testosterone profiles across taxa were broadly similar, considerable variability was found in the timing of two major changes: (1) the attainment of adult levels of testosterone and (2) the decline in testosterone after the period of maximum production. Attainment of adult testosterone levels was delayed by 1 year in chacmas compared with yellows and geladas. With respect to the decline in testosterone, geladas and chacmas exhibited a significant drop after 3 years of maximum production, while yellows declined so gradually that no significant annual drop was ever detected. For both yellows and chacmas, increases in testosterone production preceded elevations in social dominance rank. We discuss these differences in the context of ecological and behavioral differences exhibited by these taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043, USA.
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31
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Golubev A. How could the Gompertz–Makeham law evolve. J Theor Biol 2009; 258:1-17. [PMID: 19490880 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2009.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2008] [Revised: 12/11/2008] [Accepted: 01/15/2009] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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Wroblewski EE, Murray CM, Keele BF, Schumacher-Stankey JC, Hahn BH, Pusey AE. Male dominance rank and reproductive success in chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii. Anim Behav 2009; 77:873-885. [PMID: 19498952 PMCID: PMC2689943 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Competition for fertile females determines male reproductive success in many species. The priority of access model predicts that male dominance rank determines access to females, but this model has been difficult to test in wild populations, particularly in promiscuous mating systems. Tests of the model have produced variable results, probably because of the differing socioecological circumstances of individual species and populations. We tested the predictions of the priority of access model in the chimpanzees of Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Chimpanzees are an interesting species in which to test the model because of their fission-fusion grouping patterns, promiscuous mating system and alternative male mating strategies. We determined paternity for 34 offspring over a 22-year period and found that the priority of access model was generally predictive of male reproductive success. However, we found that younger males had higher success per male than older males, and low-ranking males sired more offspring than predicted. Low-ranking males sired offspring with younger, less desirable females and by engaging in consortships more often than high-ranking fathers. Although alpha males never sired offspring with related females, inbreeding avoidance of high-ranking male relatives did not completely explain the success of low-ranking males. While our work confirms that male rank typically predicts male chimpanzee reproductive success, other factors are also important; mate choice and alternative male strategies can give low-ranking males access to females more often than would be predicted by the model. Furthermore, the success of younger males suggests that they are more successful in sperm competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily E. Wroblewski
- Jane Goodall Institute's Center for Primate Studies, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN, U.S.A
| | - Carson M. Murray
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, U.S.A
| | - Brandon F. Keele
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, U.S.A
| | - Joann C. Schumacher-Stankey
- Jane Goodall Institute's Center for Primate Studies, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN, U.S.A
| | - Beatrice H. Hahn
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, U.S.A
| | - Anne E. Pusey
- Jane Goodall Institute's Center for Primate Studies, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN, U.S.A
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Bonduriansky R, Maklakov A, Zajitschek F, Brooks R. Sexual selection, sexual conflict and the evolution of ageing and life span. Funct Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2008.01417.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 380] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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34
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Uchida A, Bribiescas RG, Ellison PT, Kanamori M, Ando J, Hirose N, Ono Y. Age related variation of salivary testosterone values in healthy Japanese males. Aging Male 2006; 9:207-13. [PMID: 17178556 DOI: 10.1080/13685530601060461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We examined age associated variation in salivary testosterone values among Japanese males as well as anthropometric measurements. METHODS Salivary samples were collected in pretreated sodium azide treated tubes. The first series: 15-79-year-old males (n = 99); two morning and two evening samples were collected at home for two days. The second series: 90-year-old males (n = 29); one morning sample was collected. Testosterone values were determined using an iodine125-based radioimmunoassay kit modified for saliva. RESULTS Results show 1) a significant decrease in salivary testosterone values from 20s to 40s and older, 2) no significant decline after 40 through 90 years old, 3) no significant age-related differences in the degree of intraindividual diurnal fluctuation across age groups of 40-70s, and 4) higher BMI is associated with the lower salivary testosterone among 40-70s. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that neither a constant decrease of salivary testosterone values or markedly reduced intraindividual fluctations are universal aspects of aging. Older males may maintain relatively high testosterone levels compared to younger men and a relatively 'robust' neuroendocrinological system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Uchida
- School of International Liberal Studies, Waseda University, Japan.
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