Sara Jane Cotton

The behavioral correlates of estrogen in bodies assigned female at birth (AFAB) are highly understudied compared to that of testosterone in bodies assigned male. While behavioral effects of estradiol have been characterized in some animal models, the applicability of these findings to human behavior remains unclear. This research will characterize bidirectional estrogen and behavior relationships in captive bonobos to better understand the degree to which social experience and hormones interact to influence but not determine behavior in human and non-human primates. Bonobos offer an ideal model for this given their evolutionary closeness to humans and expression of distinct socio-sexual behaviors. Behavioral data, sexual swelling ratings, and urinary estradiol levels will be collected from zoo-housed bonobo females many of which receive the same oral contraceptives as human women. Through the collection of a wide range of contextual data, this research will shed light on the importance of social and physiological context in the hormone-behavior relationship. This research has the potential to transform ongoing anthropological debates around the evolutionary role of hormonally mediated behavior in both human and non-human primates, further understanding of the evolution of human reproductive and sexual behaviors, and the potential influence of exogenous estrogen administration on sociosexual behaviors.