If you want to see status testing in a non-male-female context, watch the behavior of frat boys, for example.

I understand your point: that is an extremely visible and easy to see example of a dominance hierarchy.

But I'm more thinking about testing in general, not necessarily status testing. I interpret most testing as learning about the other person's responses, not necessarily testing their status. I don't even know if I would interpret the "buying a drink" story as about status: it's more about humor and confidence.

The frat boy example has extremely negative connotations, and I wouldn't call it "typical human interaction". How about "watch two people having a pleasant and friendly conversation, laughing together, and enjoying each other's company"? That's a more pleasant example of unconscious testing, in the sense of unconsciously doing things to see people's reactions and learning about the other person.