Popular Baboons Are More Stressed out

If we are like Baboons, which we are in a lot of ways, being at the top our game could mean health problems later in life. A new study of baboons shows those who are at the top of societal hierarchy have more stress-even during stable times. So maybe all the high school Prom and Homecoming queens and kings need to pay really close attention to any odd health symptoms!
From Science Daily: A new study, "Life at the Top: Rank and Stress in Wild Male Baboons," published in the July 15 issue of the journal Science found that in wild baboon populations, the highest-ranking, or alpha, males have higher stress-hormone levels than the highly ranked males below them, known as beta males -- even during periods of stability. The findings have implications in the study of social hierarchies and of the impact of social dominance on health and well-being, a subject of interest among researchers who study human and other animal populations.
-NewsAnchorMom Jen