Paleogenomic insights into cooperation in the ancient Andes from positive selection on oxytocin pathway genes

Human societies are characterized by norms that restrict selfish behavior and promote cooperation. The oxytocin system is an important modulator of social behavior that may be involved in the evolution of cooperation. Oxytocin acts in both the nucleus accumbens and the anterior cingulate cortex to p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Genes, brain and behavior Vol. 23; no. 1
Main Authors:	Joseph, Sophie K., Wagman, Elizabeth, Diab, Nabeel, Ryu, Nicholas, Lee, Minwoo, Haas, Randall, Rilling, James K., Aldenderfer, Mark S., Lindo, John
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-02-2024 John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Subjects:	Alleles Andes CD38 antigen Cooperation Cortex (cingulate) Genomes Hormones Nucleus accumbens Original Oxytocin Population growth Positive selection Secretion selection Social behavior Urbanization
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Summary:	Human societies are characterized by norms that restrict selfish behavior and promote cooperation. The oxytocin system is an important modulator of social behavior that may be involved in the evolution of cooperation. Oxytocin acts in both the nucleus accumbens and the anterior cingulate cortex to promote social bonding and social cohesion. Expression of the CD38 and OXTR genes is known to affect oxytocin secretion and binding, respectively, in these brain areas. The Andean highlands provide an excellent opportunity to evaluate the role of oxytocin in the evolution of cooperation. The rich archeological record spans 13,000 years of population growth and cooperative challenges through periods of highland exploration, hunting economies, agro‐pastoralism, and urbanization. Through allele trajectory modeling using both ancient and contemporary whole genomes, we find evidence for strong positive selection on the OXTR and CD38 alleles linked with increased oxytocin signaling. These selection events commenced around 2.5 and 1.25 thousand years ago, placing them in the region's Upper Formative and Tiwanaku periods—a time of population growth, urbanization, and relatively low rates of violence. Along with remarkable and enduring cultural developments, increased oxytocin secretion and receptor binding in these brain areas may have facilitated large‐scale cooperation that promoted early urbanization in the Titicaca Basin of the Andean highlands. The oxytocin system is an important modulator of social behavior that may be involved in the evolution of human cooperation, and expression of the CD38 and OXTR genes in the brain is known to affect oxytocin secretion and binding. The Andean highlands provide an excellent opportunity to evaluate the role of oxytocin in the evolution of cooperation, since the rich archaeological record spans 13,000 years of population growth and cooperative challenges through periods of highland exploration, hunting economies, agro‐pastoralism, and urbanization. Through allele trajectory modeling using both ancient and contemporary whole genomes, we find evidence for strong positive selection on OXTR and CD38 alleles linked with increased oxytocin signaling beginning around 2.5 and 1.25 thousand years ago, during the region's Upper Formative and Tiwanaku periods—a time of population growth, urbanization, and socioeconomic change.
ISSN:	1601-1848 1601-183X
DOI:	10.1111/gbb.12877