Polygamous men have lower testosterone

Las Vegas -- U.S. researchers studying male herders in Kenya find men with more than one wife have lower testosterone levels than monogamously married men.

The study, published in Current Anthropology, also found monogamously married men have lower testosterone levels than single men, and married men who are considered aloof spouses and provide minimal parenting have much lower testosterone levels than single, unmarried men.

Researchers Peter Gray of the University of Nevada, Peter Ellison of Harvard University and Benjamin Campbell of Boston University, looked for links between male testosterone levels and marital status among modern-day herders in northern Kenya, known as the Ariaal.

When herd boys reach puberty, they are initiated, become warriors and accumulate livestock. They seldom marry and have children until age 30.

Less than 2 percent of the herders consider their wives a source of emotional support. Rather, they seem to value social bonds with male peers more than spousal bonds or familial bonds, the researchers said.

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