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The Influence of Social Hierarchy on Primate Health
Abstract
Dominance hierarchies occur in numerous social species, and rank within them can greatly influence the quality of life of an animal. In this review, I consider how rank can also influence physiology and health. I first consider whether it is high- or low-ranking animals that are most stressed in a dominance hierarchy; this turns out to vary as a function of the social organization in different species and populations. I then review how the stressful characteristics of social rank have adverse adrenocortical, cardiovascular, reproductive, immunological, and neurobiological consequences. Finally, I consider how these findings apply to the human realm of health, disease, and socioeconomic status.
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“Maintaining a high-status position within such a fluid social structure requires heightened vigilance towards potential threats, particularly those that might challenge an individual’s social standing [70].”
From Socializing a group of male Asian elephants in a semi-captive facility in Lao PDR (2025) · cites this paper as [70]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Sapolsky, R. M.
- Affiliations
- Institute of Primate Research (KE)
- Corresponding author
- Sapolsky, Robert M.
- ORCID
- Sapolsky, Robert M.
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2005-04-29
- Volume
- 308
- Issue
- 5722
- Pages
- 648-652
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2165558339
- Cited by
- 2,113
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 82 · 2025: 102 · 2024: 78 · 2023: 145 · 2022: 140 · 2021: 102 · 2020: 98 · 2019: 172 · 2018: 120 · 2017: 106 · 2016: 146 · 2015: 111 · 2014: 112 · 2013: 127 · 2012: 102
- FWCI
- 6.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Keywords
- dominance hierarchy, social rank, primate health, stress, adrenocortical stress response, cardiovascular effects, reproductive effects, immunological effects, neurobiology, socioeconomic status, human health, social organization
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Anxiety, Behavior, Animal, Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena, Catecholamines, Dominance-Subordination, Health Status, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Immune System, Nervous System Physiological Phenomena, Primates, Reproduction, Social Behavior, Social Class, Social Dominance, Stress, Physiological
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