Sapolsky RM. Endocrinology alfresco: psychoendocrine studies of wild baboons. Recent Progress in Hormone Research 1993; 48: 437-68.

Sapolsky delightfully summarizes 14 years of studies of social dominance related to endocrine stress among baboons in Kenya. Basic features of the adrenocortical axis of baboons are similar to humans. High ranking individuals have low basal cortisol concentrations relative to subordinate individuals who have more baseline stress, but the levels rise to the same levels as subordinate animals when responding to a stressor. Low ranking males have loss of pituitary sensitivity to corticotropin releasing factor. Differences in rank-related adrenocoritcol levels may have affects on health and possible routes for disease are discussed. He concludes that "although social rank is an important predictor of some physiologic parameters, just as important can be the type of society in which that rank occurs, and the way in which one experiences such a rank. .... the filters of personality with which an individual views these events and the varying strategies available for coping with them are probably immensely important variables as well." 

Keywords

• cortisol
• glucocorticoids
• hierarchy
• social stratification
• stress