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Butovskaya ML, Lazebny OE, Vasilyev VA, Dronova DA, Karelin DV, Mabulla AZP, Shibalev DV, Shackelford TK, Fink B, Ryskov AP. Androgen Receptor Gene Polymorphism, Aggression, and Reproduction in Tanzanian Foragers and Pastoralists. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136208. [PMID: 26291982 PMCID: PMC4546275 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) gene polymorphism in humans is linked to aggression and may also be linked to reproduction. Here we report associations between AR gene polymorphism and aggression and reproduction in two small-scale societies in northern Tanzania (Africa)--the Hadza (monogamous foragers) and the Datoga (polygynous pastoralists). We secured self-reports of aggression and assessed genetic polymorphism of the number of CAG repeats for the AR gene for 210 Hadza men and 229 Datoga men (aged 17-70 years). We conducted structural equation modeling to identify links between AR gene polymorphism, aggression, and number of children born, and included age and ethnicity as covariates. Fewer AR CAG repeats predicted greater aggression, and Datoga men reported more aggression than did Hadza men. In addition, aggression mediated the identified negative relationship between CAG repeats and number of children born.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina L. Butovskaya
- Department of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Human Ethology, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Oleg E. Lazebny
- Department of Evolutionary and Developmental Genetics, Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vasiliy A. Vasilyev
- Department of Genome Organization, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Daria A. Dronova
- Department of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Human Ethology, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Audax Z. P. Mabulla
- Department of Archaeology, College of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Dmitri V. Shibalev
- Department of Genome Organization, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Todd K. Shackelford
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Bernhard Fink
- Institute of Psychology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Alexey P. Ryskov
- Department of Genome Organization, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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