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In most social species, position in the male dominance hierarchy and fertility are positively correlated, but in traditional human societies, this correlation is less clear and even vanishes in the most economically advanced societies. In the social science literature, this has been used as argument that humans do not naturally organize hierarchically, i.e. that men's social status is not adaptive, but social construction.
Perusse et al. (1993) hypothesized that the lack of a clear correlation rather stems from reproductive patterns unique to modern societies, in particular the existence of welfare, monogamy and contraception, as well cultural differences between upper and lower class.
To test for whether men's social status is adaptive while avoiding these patterns, he analyzed whether men's status is at least correlated with potential fertility instead of actual fertility. And indeed, he found men's status accounts for as much as 62% of the variance in potential fertility. This pattern is remarkably similar to what is found in many traditional societies, e.g. even in the most egalitarian contemporary hunter-gatherers such as the Ache and the Sharanahua, one finds that the most successful hunters have the most offspring (Cashdan, 1996).
For women, on the other hand, high status is associated with lower reproductive success, and has been in history. This can likely be explained by their hypergamous instincts to avoid men of lower status than their own.
Perusse et al. (1993) hypothesized that the lack of a clear correlation rather stems from reproductive patterns unique to modern societies, in particular the existence of welfare, monogamy and contraception, as well cultural differences between upper and lower class.
To test for whether men's social status is adaptive while avoiding these patterns, he analyzed whether men's status is at least correlated with potential fertility instead of actual fertility. And indeed, he found men's status accounts for as much as 62% of the variance in potential fertility. This pattern is remarkably similar to what is found in many traditional societies, e.g. even in the most egalitarian contemporary hunter-gatherers such as the Ache and the Sharanahua, one finds that the most successful hunters have the most offspring (Cashdan, 1996).
For women, on the other hand, high status is associated with lower reproductive success, and has been in history. This can likely be explained by their hypergamous instincts to avoid men of lower status than their own.
