Facial coloration tracks changes in women's estradiol

Psychoneuroendocrinology
Benedict C JonesLisa M DeBruine

Abstract

Red facial coloration is an important social cue in many primate species, including humans. In such species, the vasodilatory effects of estradiol may cause red facial coloration to change systematically during females' ovarian cycle. Although increased red facial coloration during estrus has been observed in female mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) and rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), evidence linking primate facial color changes directly to changes in measured estradiol is lacking. Addressing this issue, we used a longitudinal design to demonstrate that red facial coloration tracks within-subject changes in women's estradiol, but not within-subject changes in women's progesterone or estradiol-to-progesterone ratio. Moreover, the relationship between estradiol and facial redness was observed in two independent samples of women (N = 50 and N = 65). Our results suggest that changes in facial coloration may provide cues of women's fertility and present the first evidence for a direct link between estradiol and female facial redness in a primate species.

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Citations

Sep 27, 2015·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Chengyang HanBenedict C Jones
Jul 15, 2015·Psychological Science·Adar B EisenbruchJames R Roney
Mar 10, 2017·Evolutionary Psychology : an International Journal of Evolutionary Approaches to Psychology and Behavior·Chengyang HanBenedict C Jones
Dec 14, 2017·Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : ECAM·Sujeong MunSiwoo Lee
Feb 14, 2018·Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology·Edwin D Lephart
Apr 8, 2020·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·U M Marcinkowska, I J Holzleitner
Oct 16, 2015·PloS One·Karin WolffhechelLisa M DeBruine
Dec 13, 2017·PeerJ·Guillaume DezecacheKlaus Zuberbühler
Jan 1, 2017·Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology·Michal KandrikBenedict C Jones
May 24, 2017·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Hannah M Rowland, Robert P Burriss
May 28, 2019·Evolutionary Psychology : an International Journal of Evolutionary Approaches to Psychology and Behavior·K R van SteinK Brenk-Franz
Apr 3, 2019·Behavioral Sciences·Daniel B Yarosh
Apr 16, 2019·Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin·Christopher A ThorstensonAndrew J Elliot

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