The Neural Circuit Architecture of Social Hierarchy in Rodents and Primates

Abstract

Social status is recognized as a major determinant of social behavior and health among animals; however, the neural circuits supporting the formation and navigation of social hierarchies remain under extensive research. Available evidence suggests the prefrontal cortex is a keystone in this circuit, but upstream and downstream candidates are progressively emerging. In this review, we compare and integrate findings from rodent and primate studies to create a model of the neural and cellular networks supporting social hierarchies, both from a macro (i.e., circuits) to a micro-scale perspective (microcircuits and synapses). We start by summarizing the literature on the prefrontal cortex and other relevant brain regions to expand the current “prefrontal-centric” view of social hierarchy behaviors. Based on connectivity data we also discuss candidate regions that might inspire further investigation, as well as the caveats and strategies that have been used to further our understanding of the biological substrates underpinning social hierarchy and dominance.

Causal Role of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex in Learning Social Hierarchy

“…These analyses allowed us to observe the effect of stimulation at the level of the population, by considering the effect of time. The independent variables were the tDCS stimulation (Anode/Sham/Cathode), hierarchy condition (Social/Nonsocial), and block number (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12). The percentage change effect was estimated via the marginal effect (reported as β value below, see Methods).…”

“…Optimization of our social interactions requires us to perceive status cues and continuously update hierarchical relationships, by determining the power of others relative to ourselves, to make social judgments in daily life 2 . Social hierarchy is a group structure that exists in many species including non-human primates 3 , rodents 4 , fish 5,6 , and humans 7,8 , which is crucial to maintaining the stability of populations and the health of individuals 2,9,10 . Animal studies have shown that burtoni fish can infer the social hierarchy of competitors by observation learning 6 , and clownfish can adjust their size and growth rate according to their hierarchical position in group 5 .…”

Flexibility of neural circuits regulating mating behaviors in mice and flies

“…Social hierarchy (dominance hierarchy; social dominance) has been studied for decades ( Sidanius and Pratto, 2001 ) in humans ( Sidanius and Pratto, 2001 ), non-human primates ( Cowlishaw and Dunbar, 1991 ), and other animal species ( Squires and Daws, 1975 ; Portugal et al, 2017 ), including rodents ( Desjardins et al, 1973 ; Faulkes and Abbott, 1993 ; Ferreira-Fernandes and Peça, 2022 ) and insects ( Strassmann and Meyer, 1983 ; Peeters et al, 2000 ). A dominant higher-ranking individual is sometimes referred to as an “alpha,” while the submissive lower-ranking individual is a “beta.” Different types of interactions can result in dominance depending on the species.…”

Transcranial direct current stimulation suggests a causal role of the medial prefrontal cortex in learning social hierarchy

“…Optimization of our social interactions requires us to perceive status cues and continuously update hierarchical relationships, by determining the power of others relative to ourselves, to make social judgments in daily life 2 . Social hierarchy exists in many species, including non-human primates 3 , rodents 4 , fish 5 , 6 , and humans 7 , 8 , which is crucial to maintaining the stability of populations and the health of individuals 2 , 9 , 10 . For example, animal studies have shown that burtoni fish can infer the social hierarchy of competitors by observation learning 6 , and clownfish can adjust their size and growth rate according to their hierarchical position in group 5 .…”