A recent study has brought in some interesting revelations about the role of females in the reproductive physiology, group dynamics, and an overall social status.

Findings of this new research study have been published in the journal “Proceedings of the royal Society”. The study was performed with a core focus on the social habits of an unusual species of fish that generally is found to occur in Africa.

According to this study, climbing on the social ladder becomes comparatively smoother if one has a support of a good female. This support as a matter of fact will be more impressive, and effective compared to the approaches like aggression, testosterone, and nepotism.

researchers observed that several types of changes occurring in the social status were found to be tied up with the regulations established by the most dominant female in that particular social group. The study on African fish revealed that the dominant females among this group were performing the role of a ‘gatekeeper’. These female fishes were “allowing only males larger than themselves to move up in status and become dominant”, says John Fitzpatrick, the lead researcher at the McMaster University.

Immediately upon the upliftment of males to a dominating social position, they were found to have changed their behavior to a great extent. Males generally started becoming more aggressive. The reproductive physiology of these males we also found to be surging up drastically. Researchers observed a change in the sizes of their testes which were almost doubled up in just a week’s time.

Researchers’ examination of male-behavior was completed while working underwater. They selected the Zambian offshore sites of the Lake Tanganyika in Africa for this study. A typical fish species, particularly the childish fish, ‘Neolamprologus’ demonstrated varying responses to the changed social positions.

This species of African fish has a typical social group structure. These fish survive in permanent groups that are made up of a male and female in dominating roles as breeding pair. There is another subordinate pair like this will help the dominant pair in looking after the young ones and in safeguard the territory.

Researchers deliberately removed the male dominating breeder fish from the pair group to create a vacancy. It was done with an intention to create an opportunity for other subordinate males to come up with the ranks and fill the position.

Many people might be having views that the aggression decides your hunger for power and the more testosterone you have the more you will try to rise up the social status. Some experts also thought that the understanding of testosterone levels is helpful in understanding the change in status and dominating roles.

The study however established just differently. Hormones and genetic relationships are not necessarily the determinants for higher rankings.”That simply isn’t the case instead, the female and social landscape are key”, say Sigal Balshine, the researcher.