Androgen Levels and Body Size Are Associated with Directional and Fluctuating Asymmetry Patterns in Adult !Kung San and Kavango Males from Northern Namibia

The study investigated the relationship between androgen levels, body size, and asymmetry patterns in 114 !Kung San and 136 Kavango males from northern Namibia. It found that !Kung San males exhibited greater directional and composite directional asymmetry compared to Kavango males. Among !Kung San males, 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels were significantly negatively correlated with both fluctuating and directional asymmetry, suggesting a link between higher androgen levels and a high-quality phenotype. In contrast, among Kavango males, DHT was negatively associated with foot breadth asymmetry but positively with wrist asymmetry. Despite weak correlations, the study concluded that androgen levels were negatively associated with asymmetry in !Kung San males.