scholarly journals Social affiliation matters: both same-sex and opposite-sex relationships predict survival in wild female baboons

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1793) ◽  
pp. 20141261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Archie ◽  
Jenny Tung ◽  
Michael Clark ◽  
Jeanne Altmann ◽  
Susan C. Alberts
Keyword(s):  
Animal Studies ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Dominance Rank ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Wild Female ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Socially Isolated

Social integration and support can have profound effects on human survival. The extent of this phenomenon in non-human animals is largely unknown, but such knowledge is important to understanding the evolution of both lifespan and sociality. Here, we report evidence that levels of affiliative social behaviour (i.e. ‘social connectedness’) with both same-sex and opposite-sex conspecifics predict adult survival in wild female baboons. In the Amboseli ecosystem in Kenya, adult female baboons that were socially connected to either adult males or adult females lived longer than females who were socially isolated from both sexes—females with strong connectedness to individuals of both sexes lived the longest. Female social connectedness to males was predicted by high dominance rank, indicating that males are a limited resource for females, and females compete for access to male social partners. To date, only a handful of animal studies have found that social relationships may affect survival. This study extends those findings by examining relationships to both sexes in by far the largest dataset yet examined for any animal. Our results support the idea that social effects on survival are evolutionarily conserved in social mammals.

Dispersal and site fidelity in Blue Grouse

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 570-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian G. Jamieson ◽  
Fred C. Zwickel
Keyword(s):  
Site Fidelity ◽  
General Area ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Sibling Pairs ◽  
Dendragapus Obscurus ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Juvenile Males ◽  
Old Females

Ten years of banding and censusing data from Blue Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) were analyzed with respect to dispersal of juveniles and site fidelity of yearlings and adults. Juvenile females dispersed farther than juvenile males. In sibling pairs of the same sex, brothers settled closer to one another than sisters. In sibling pairs with birds of opposite sex, females dispersed farther than males. Adult males first established territories close to where they had been sighted as yearlings, or nonterritorial adults, and most females returned in spring to the same general area where they had previously nested. Two-year-old females showed less fidelity to breeding sites they had used as yearlings than older females to sites they had used in previous years.

Sociosexual behaviour in wild chimpanzees occurs in variable contexts and is frequent between same-sex partners

Behaviour ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Aaron A. Sandel ◽  
Rachna B. Reddy
Keyword(s):  
Pan Troglodytes ◽  
National Park ◽  
Pan Paniscus ◽  
Dominance Rank ◽  
Kibale National Park ◽  
Regular Part ◽  
Sex Partners ◽  
Territorial Behaviour ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Same Sex

Abstract Many animals engage in sociosexual behaviour, including that between same-sex pairs. Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are famous for their sociosexual behaviour, but chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) apparently do not engage in sociosexual behaviour frequently. However, sociosexual behaviour in chimpanzees may have been overlooked. We observed 584 instances of sociosexual behaviour in chimpanzees at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda during three years of study. All ages and sexes engaged in sociosexual behaviour, which included mounting, touching of genitals, and pressing genitals together. Most sociosexual behaviour was between adult males. Sociosexual behaviour was often during tense contexts, such as subgroup reunions and during territorial behaviour. Among males, grooming and dominance rank relationships do not explain patterns of sociosexual behaviour. Although sociosexual behaviour may be less frequent in chimpanzees than in bonobos, and bonobos remain distinct in their genito-genital rubbing, our findings suggest that sociosexual behaviour is a regular part of chimpanzee behaviour.

scholarly journals Testing the twin testosterone transfer hypothesis—intergenerational analysis of 317 dizygotic twins born in Aberdeen, Scotland

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1702-1711
Author(s):  
Chiara Talia ◽  
Edwin-Amalraj Raja ◽  
Sohinee Bhattacharya ◽  
Paul A Fowler
Keyword(s):  
Animal Studies ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Prenatal Testosterone ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Opposite Sex

Abstract STUDY QUESTION Does having a male co-twin influence the female twin’s reproductive outcomes? SUMMARY ANSWER Women with a male co-twin had the same chances of being pregnant and having children compared to same-sex twin pairs. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY According to the twin testosterone transfer (TTT) hypothesis, in an opposite-sex twin pregnancy, testosterone transfer from the male to the female co-twin occurs. A large body of literature supports the negative impact of prenatal testosterone exposure on female’s reproductive health in animal models; however, evidence from human studies remains controversial. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This cohort study included all dizygotic female twins in the Aberdeen Maternity and Neonatal Databank (Scotland) born before 1 January 1979. The 317 eligible women were followed up for 40 years for any pregnancies and the outcome of those pregnancies recorded in the same database. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Fertility outcomes (number of pregnancies, number of livebirths and age at first pregnancy) were compared between women with a male co-twin (exposed group, n = 151) and those with a female co-twin (unexposed group, n = 166). Population averaged models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI for all outcomes with adjusting for potential confounders. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE There were no differences in chances of having pregnancies (adj. OR 1.33; 95% CI 0.72, 2.45) and livebirths (adj. OR 1.22; 95% CI 0.68, 2.18) between women from same-sex and opposite-sex twin pairs. Women with a male co-twin were more likely to smoke during pregnancy and, in the unadjusted model, were younger at their first pregnancy (OR 2.13; 95% CI 1.21, 3.75). After adjusting for confounding variables (year of birth and smoking status) the latter finding was no longer significant (OR 1.67; 95% CI 0.90, 3.20). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The dataset was relatively small. For women without a pregnancy recorded in the databank, we assumed that they had not been pregnant. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Despite the evidence from animal studies concerning the adverse effects of prenatal testosterone exposure on female health, our results do not support the TTT hypothesis. The finding that women with a male co-twin are more likely to smoke during pregnancy highlights the importance of considering post-socialisation and social effects in twin studies. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie project PROTECTED (grant agreement No. 722634) and FREIA project (grant agreement No. 825100). No competing interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A

scholarly journals Social environment influences the relationship between genotype and gene expression in wild baboons

2013 ◽  
Vol 368 (1618) ◽  
pp. 20120345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel E. Runcie ◽  
Ralph T. Wiedmann ◽  
Elizabeth A. Archie ◽  
Jeanne Altmann ◽  
Gregory A. Wray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Dominance Rank ◽  
Social Stressors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Wild Baboons

Variation in the social environment can have profound effects on survival and reproduction in wild social mammals. However, we know little about the degree to which these effects are influenced by genetic differences among individuals, and conversely, the degree to which social environmental variation mediates genetic reaction norms. To better understand these relationships, we investigated the potential for dominance rank, social connectedness and group size to modify the effects of genetic variation on gene expression in the wild baboons of the Amboseli basin. We found evidence for a number of gene–environment interactions (GEIs) associated with variation in the social environment, encompassing social environments experienced in adulthood as well as persistent effects of early life social environment. Social connectedness, maternal dominance rank and group size all interacted with genotype to influence gene expression in at least one sex, and either in early life or in adulthood. These results suggest that social and behavioural variation, akin to other factors such as age and sex, can impact the genotype–phenotype relationship. We conclude that GEIs mediated by the social environment are important in the evolution and maintenance of individual differences in wild social mammals, including individual differences in responses to social stressors.

scholarly journals Risk of Sex-Specific Cancers in Opposite-Sex and Same-Sex Twins in Denmark and Sweden

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1622-1628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda J. Ahrenfeldt ◽  
Axel Skytthe ◽  
Sören Möller ◽  
Kamila Czene ◽  
Hans-Olov Adami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Same Sex ◽  
Opposite Sex

Adults' Perceptions of Children's Independence and other Sex-Role Characteristics as a Function of Child's Gender Label

1978 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 955-962 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy J. Bell ◽  
Kay Hibbs ◽  
Thomas Milholland
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
Female College Students ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female College ◽  
Opposite Sex

Male and female college students were presented with a photograph labeled as a 5-yr.-old boy or girl and heard statements attributed to the child. They then rated the child on sex-role traits and responded to open-ended questions about the child. The primary findings involved sex of child by sex of adult interactions on ratings of independence and leadership: in both cases, same-sex children were rated higher than opposite-sex children. There was also some evidence that women having high contact with children rated the child more extremely on opposite-sex traits than did those with little contact.

scholarly journals Oral Glucose Augments the Counterregulatory Hormone Response during Insulin-Induced Hypoglycemia in Humans1

2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 645-648
Author(s):  
Rubina A. Heptulla ◽  
William V. Tamborlane ◽  
Tony Y.-Z. Ma ◽  
Fran Rife ◽  
Robert S. Sherwin.
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Glucose ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Healthy Adult ◽  
Systemic Circulation ◽  
Glucose Sensors ◽  
Oral Glucose ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Hormone Response ◽  
Glucose Levels ◽  
Acute Hypoglycemia

It has been suggested that the counterregulatory hormone (CRH) response to acute hypoglycemia is triggered via glucose sensors situated in either the hypothalamus or the portohepatic area. If the latter were critical during hypoglycemia, one would anticipate that ingestion of glucose, by raising glucose levels in the portal circulation, should attenuate CRH responses previously described in animal studies. To evaluate the effect of raising portal, but not peripheral, glucose levels during insulin-induced hypoglycemia, we performed hypoglycemic clamp studies in five healthy adult males on two occasions. On one occasion, subjects received oral glucose (OG) (25 g) during hypoglycemia; and on one occasion, noncarbohydrate-containing drink of equal volume, while maintaining plasma glucose at 55 ± 2 mg/dL (3.08 mmol/L). As a result, there were no significant differences in systemic plasma glucose levels between the two hypoglycemic clamp studies, and basal CRH concentrations were also similar. As expected, there was a brisk rise in all CRH during the control (hypoglycemia+noncarbohydrate drink) study. In the experimental study, administration of OG (hypoglycemia+OG), to raise intraportal glucose levels during systemic hypoglycemia, did not attenuate CRH responses. Indeed, OG enhanced the rise in epinephrine, glucagon, and GH. Increases in cortisol and norepinephrine did not differ between the two studies. Therefore, our data suggest that increasing the level of glucose in the portal vein above that in the systemic circulation, during hypoglycemia, enhances (rather than suppresses) CRH responses. Thus, ingestion of glucose may reverse hypoglycemia directly by provision of substrate, as well as indirectly by stimulating counteregulatory mechanisms.

scholarly journals Social connectedness and political behavior

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 205316801771917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Lyons Reilly
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Political Behavior ◽  
Political Ideology ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Socially Isolated

One of the focal points of social networks research has been the process by which individuals utilize information and cues from their social networks and communities to form political attitudes and make decisions about how and when to participate in politics. Not all individuals, however, have large social networks or are strongly connected to their local social environments. Furthermore, despite concerns about rising social isolation in American society, the role that relatively socially disconnected individuals play in politics is not well understood. Using a nationally representative data set with information about communities, social networks, and individual-level variables, this paper examines social connectedness and political behavior. Those who are more socially isolated, it is found, are neither more conservative nor liberal on any particular political issues, but clearly participate in politics less than individuals who are well connected to those around them. Finally, while individual political ideology is not correlated with isolation, the contextual influence of the local environment on individual preferences is correlated with social connectedness. When compared with well connected citizens, individuals who are more isolated are less likely to have their vote choices influenced by those around them. Individual social connectedness conditions the effect of contextual social influence.

An Argument for the Continued Validity of Woman-to-Woman Marriages in Post-2010 Kenya

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-328
Author(s):  
Monicah Kareithi ◽  
Frans Viljoen
Keyword(s):  
Legal Status ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Cultural Practice ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
The Right

AbstractWoman-to-woman marriage is a form of customary marriage between two women, predominantly found in Africa. These customary marriages have been and to some extent still are conducted by various communities across Africa, including in Kenya. Communities such as the Kamba, Kisii, Nandi, Kikuyu and Kuria practise woman-to-woman marriages for a variety of reasons. The legal status of woman-to-woman marriages in Kenya is uncertain due to the provisions of article 45(2) of Kenya's Constitution of 2010 and section 3(1) of the Marriage Act of 2014, which stipulate that adults only have the right to marry persons of the opposite sex. However, a holistic and purposive reading of the constitution, taking into consideration its recognition of culture and the protection of children as important values in Kenyan society, and considering the historical context within which the provisions concerning same-sex marriages were included, leads to the conclusion that these provisions were not intended to proscribe the cultural practice of woman-to-woman marriage in Kenya. The constitutional validity of woman-to-woman marriage opens the door to a more expansive and fluid understanding of “family” in Kenya.

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