Chris von Rueden discusses research on status hierarchy

Chris von Rueden, assistant professor of leadership studies, discusses research on status hierarchy in the Los Angeles Times article "An extra dose of testosterone increases men's perference for high-status luxury goods, study says." Von Rueden conducts ethnographic research with the Tsimané forager-horticulturalists in Bolivia.

Reporter Melissa Healy writes, "In less interdependent species, testosterone is clearly linked to the kind of aggressive behavior that could assure a male mating rights, said Von Rued[e]n, who also has studied the Tsimané. But as humans evolved to depend on each other for safety and prosperity, a male’s appeal as a mate 'actually rested on his ability to be of value to others.'"

Read the full article in the Los Angeles Times.