"In some animal populations, high-ranking males also experience the most stress."
High-ranking alpha males in baboon populations, previously thought to have easier lives, are in fact more stressed than beta males below them, according to authors of a Princeton study. Baboon populations are a good model for human interactions, given their genetic resemblance to humans and similarly complex societies. Researchers measured the stress-hormone levels of baboons over a nearly decade-long span and found that alpha males, who are constantly responsible for protecting their spoils and guarding their mates, had stress levels comparable only to those of the lowest-ranking males.