Marina Butovskaya
- Professor: Faculty of Humanities / School of History
- Chief Research Fellow: Faculty of Humanities / International Centre of Anthropology
- Marina Butovskaya has been at HSE University since 2014.
Education, Degrees and Academic Titles
Lomonosov Moscow State University
A post-doctoral degree called Doctor of Sciences is given to reflect second advanced research qualifications or higher doctorates in ISCED 2011.
Courses (2024/2025)
- Physical Anthropology with the Elements of Evolutionary Anthropology (Minor; Faculty of Humanities)Rus
- Past Courses
Courses (2023/2024)
- Physical Anthropology with the Elements of Evolutionary Anthropology (Minor; Faculty of Humanities; 1, 2 module)Rus
Courses (2022/2023)
- Physical Anthropology with the Elements of Evolutionary Anthropology (Minor; Faculty of Humanities; 1, 2 module)Rus
Courses (2020/2021)
- Physical Anthropology with the Elements of Evolutionary Anthropology (Minor; Faculty of Humanities; 1, 2 module)Rus
Editorial board membership
Employment history
Mein research interests
Biosocial perspective on social behavior: We confirm the stress reduction hypothesis, explaining affiliation of former opponents in post-conflict in humans by combining ethological observations and hormonal data analysis: we have demonstrated that both victims and aggressors are stressed by in the process of aggressive encounters, affiliation soon after conflict reduced the cortisol level in both former opponents (Behaviour, 2008: 145, p. 1557 – 1576). The negative association between aggression and 2D:4D ratio in big sample of Russian male juveniles and adolescents was demonstrated (American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2013, 152: 130–139); perception of social and reproductive qualities in traditional African and modern Western populations (Fink B, Wübker M, Ostner J, Butovskaya ML, Mezentseva A, Muñoz-Reyes JA, Sela Y and Shackelford TK (2017) Cross-Cultural Investigation of Male Gait Perception in Relation to Physical Strength and Speed. Front. Psychol. 8:1427. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01427.
Fink B., Butovskaya M., Sorokowski P., Sorokowska A., Matts P.J. Visual Perception of British Women's Skin Color Distribution in Two Nonindustrialized Societies, the Maasai and the Tsimane'//Evol Psychol. 2017 Jul-Sep;15(3):1474704917718957. doi: 10.1177/1474704917718957.
Primates and humans evolution: we present the general analysis of the aggression and peacemaking in humans: an ethological perspective, based on the currently existed data on non-human primates and humans with special references on our data obtained from traditional societies with different level of stratification (Workshop conferences of Lorents Center "Peacemaking in humans: an ethological perspective", 18-22 Oct 2010, Leiden, The Netherlands. http://www.lorentzcenter.nl/lc/web/2010/421/abstracts.php3?wsid=421&type=presentations); investigated the association between prenatal androgenization (2D:4D ratio) and potential markers of maasculinity in traditional African populations and modern industrial populations (Butovskaya M., Burkova V., Karelin D., Fink B. Digit ratio (2D:4D), aggression and dominance in the Hadza and the Datoga of Tanzania// American Journal of Human Biology, 2015, 27: 620 – 627, first published online: 30 MAR 2015, DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22718; Ribeiro, E., Neave, N., Morais, R.N., Kilduff, L., Taylor, S.R., Butovskaya, M., Fink, B. and Manning, J.T. Digit ratio (2D: 4D), testosterone, cortisol, aggression, personality and hand-grip strength: Evidence for prenatal effects on strength. Early human development. 2016, 100, pp.21-25; Fink, B., André, S., Mines, J.S., Weege, B., Shackelford, T.K. and Butovskaya, M.L. Sex difference in attractiveness perceptions of strong and weak male walkers. American Journal of Human Biology. First published July 7 2016. DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22891).
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Permanent partners, permanent partner choice and reproductive success in humans: we study family violence in traditional African populations (Datoga pastoralists) with special reference to the cultural means of control of aggression and conflict managements. (Chapter 14 Aggression and Conflict Resolution among the Nomadic Hadza of Tanzania as Compared with their Pastoralist Neighbors. In: War, Peace, and Human Nature The Convergence of Evolutionary and Cultural Views. Edited by Douglas P. Fry. Oxford University Press. 2013. Pp. 278 – 296); tested for evolutionary meaning of love as adaptation for reproductive success in African populations (Hadza nomadic hunters and gatherers) (Sorokowski, P., Sorokowska, A., Butovskaya, M., Karwowski, M., Groyecka, A., Wojciszke, B. and Pawłowski, B. Love influences reproductive success in humans. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, p.1922. 21 November 2017 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01922); tested for predictors of reproductive success in relation to attractiveness for opposite sex (Butovskaya, M., Sorokowska, A., Karwowski, M., Sabiniewicz, A., Fedenok, J., Dronova, D., Negasheva, M., Selivanova, E. and Sorokowski, P., 2017. Waist-to-hip ratio, body-mass index, age and number of children in seven traditional societies. Scientific Reports (Nature), 7(1) (9 May, 2017). doi:10.1038/s41598-017-01916-9); investigated changes in spouses roles in modern Russia (Butovskaya M. Rozenberg Z. The changing family in Russia/ In the book:The Psychology of Marriage: An Evolutionary and Cross-Cultural View. Eds. Carol Cronin Weisfeld, Glenn E. Weisfeld, Lisa M. Dillon. 2017. Pp. 125 – 140. Maryland, USA: Lexington Books).
Genetic basis of aggression in humans: We conducted the molecular genetic analysis of the allelic variants of the DRD4 and 5!HTTL gene promoter regions in two African tribes (Hadza and Datoga), characterized by different levels of socially acceptable aggression and demonstrated that Hadza and Datoga people differed in the structural organization of one of the 5!HTTL alleles (extra long allele xL). (Polymorphism of the Dopamine D4 Receptor (DRD4) and Serotonin Transporter (5_HTTL) Gene Promoter Regions in African Tribes of Hadza and Datoga. (Scientific Report (Nature publishing group), 2013, 3 : 3148 | DOI: 10.1038/srep03148); tested for association between allele variations in androgen receptor gene, aggression and reproductive success in African populations with no access to contraception (Butovskaya, M. L., Lazebny, O. E., Vasilyev, V. A., Dronova, D. A., Karelin, D. V., Mabulla, A. Z., ... & Ryskov, A. P. (2015). Androgen Receptor Gene Polymorphism, Aggression, and Reproduction in Tanzanian Foragers and Pastoralists. PloS one, 10(8), e0136208).
2D:4D Ratio Is Not Related to Sex-Determined Finger Size Differences in Men And Women
The ratios between the lengths of the second and fourth fingers, known as the 2D:4D ratio, are different in males and females, which is often explained by levels of androgens and oestrogens. However, an alternative theory states that men have bigger body parts, including fingers, which impacts the 2D:4D ratio. A research team including HSE University scholars refuted this hypothesis by collecting data on finger length from 7,500 people. The results of the study were published in Scientific Reports.
Eight HSE Faculty Members Elected Full and Corresponding Members to the Russian Academy of Sciences
After holding elections at a general meeting on November 14-15, the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) has announced its new full and corresponding members. Among those announced, eight new appointees are HSE faculty members.