Significance: Much of human behavior results from a desire for social status. From an evolutionary perspective, answering the question of why we pursue status must consider how status affects reproduction, especially in nonindustrial societies with natural fertility.
In a metaanalysis of 288 results from 33 nonindustrial populations, we find that status is statistically-significantly associated with men’s reproductive success, consistent with an evolved basis for status pursuit.
Status hierarchies have changed dramatically throughout human history, yet we find that the association between status and reproductive success does not depend on subsistence category (foraging, horticulture, pastoralism, agriculture) or how status is measured.
These findings suggest no statistically-significant increase in selection on status-enhancing traits with the domestication of plants and animals.