TABLE 3 ∣.
Features of social monogamy and functional effects of associated peptide and steroid hormones (based on the prairie vole model).
| Traits of social monogamy Functional effects of: |
Selective sociality |
Selective aggression |
Alloparental care |
Paternal behavior |
Reduced sexual dimorphism |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxytocin | ↑ | ↓/↑? | ↑ | ↑ | ↑? |
| Vasopressin | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | |
| Testosterone | ↑ | ↓ or NC | ↓ | ↑? | |
| Estradiol | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ |
The peptides oxytocin and vasopressin and the steroids testosterone and estrogen are implicated in several of the common traits of social monogamy acting in some cases to increase the expression of a trait and in others to decrease it.