The Male Warrior Hypothesis: Testosterone-related Cooperation and Aggression in the Context of Intergroup Conflict.

The Male Warrior Hypothesis (MWH) establishes that men's psychology has been shaped by inter-group competition to acquire and protect reproductive resources. In this context, sex-specific selective pressures would have favored cooperation with the members of one's group in combination with hostility towards outsiders. We investigate the role of developmental testosterone, as measured indirectly through static markers of prenatal testosterone (2D:4D digit ratio) and pubertal testosterone (body musculature and facial masculinity), on both cooperation and aggressive behavior in the context of intergroup conflict among men. Supporting the MWH, our results show that the intergroup conflict scenario promotes cooperation within group members and aggression toward outgroup members. Regarding the hormonal underpinnings of this phenomenon, we find that body musculature is positively associated with aggression and cooperation, but only for cooperation when context (inter-group competition) is taken into account. Finally, we did not find evidence that the formidability of the group affected individual rates of aggression or cooperation, controlling for individual characteristics.

[Annual follow-up of the gastrointestinal parasitosis of the tepezcuintle, Agouti paca (Rodentia: Agoutidae) in captivity in the Mexican tropic]. / Seguimiento anual de la parasitosis gastrointestinal del tepezcuintle, Agouti paca (Rodentia: Agoutidae) en cautiverio en el trópico mexicano.

Previous reports showed that the tepezcuintle (Agouti paca) is commonly infested by gastrointestinal parasites (GIP), mainly Eucoccidiida and helminths. However, there is no available information on the frequency of those parasites and their faecal egg excretions at different moments during the year. These information would provide a valuable baseline for the establishment of control strategies against GIP in tepezcuintles under captivity. The objectives of the present study were to determine the prevalence of GIP orders and genera that infest tepezcuintles under captivity and, to describe the dynamics of faecal egg and oocyst excretion in a year. Ten tepezcuintles were sampled (faeces) twice every month for twelve months. The faecal samples were processed by the flotation and McMaster techniques. Two orders of parasites were determined: Strongylida and Eucoccidiida. Two genera of nematodes were also determined: Strongyloides and Trichuris. The prevalence of Strongylida eggs, Eucoccidiida oocysts and Trichuris sp. eggs reached 10-20% of animals in certain months. The most important genus was Strongyloides, found in 60 to 100% of the animals year round. The average excretion of eggs in the group was 45 to 372 eggs per gram. Tepezcuintles kept under captivity in Yucatan are parasited with Strongyloides sp throughout the year, but only occasionally had oocysts of Eucoccidiida and eggs of Strongylida and Trichuris sp.