Lynn Fairbanks: UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute

Adolescence is characterized by behavioral and physiological changes that prepare individuals for the transition to adulthood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of behavioral, morphological, neurobiological and developmental characteristics of adolescent male vervets in predicting later dominance attainment. The results indicated that males that were high in impulsivity as adolescents and low in 5-HIAA prior to introduction were more likely to achieve stable alpha male status one year following introduction. These two factors, combined with body weight prior, resulted in correct prediction of rank attainment for 92% (33/36) of the males. Two other factors, maternal dominance rank and a measure of social anxiety from the Intruder Challenge test, were not related to adult dominance attainment in this sample. These results provide support for benefits of a high-risk, high-gain strategy by adolescent and young adult male vervets. They also demonstrated that adolescent impulsivity is age-limited. Males that achieved high rank moderated their behavior as adults, and no longer scored high in impulsivity relative to their age peers.