You know the type: Loud. Swaggering. Pushy. The alpha male clearly runs the show. Female alphas are often less conspicuous than their puffed up male counterparts, but holding the top spot still has its perks. Now, a study of female baboons points to another upside to being No. 1. A new study of 237 female baboons in Kenya found that alphas have significantly lower levels of glucocorticoids, hormones produced in response to stress.

Wearing the crown means privileged access, like never having to wait your turn. And now, a study of female baboons points to another upside to being No. 1: less stress.

In a Duke University-led study, researchers describe how, after 18 years of collecting fecal samples from 237 female baboons in Amboseli National Park in Kenya, they found that alpha females have significantly lower levels of glucocorticoids, hormones produced in response to stress.

Baboon females are a very orderly group, with one reigning alpha who gets her way over everyone else, a second-in-command who dominates all but the alpha, and so on down to the bottom-ranked female, who gets pushed around by most everyone.

Dominance gives baboons a lot of advantages in life. Higher-ranking females get preferential treatment in grooming bouts and first dibs at feeding time. As a result, their babies grow faster and are more likely to survive to adulthood.

Considering all these perks, the researchers say it came as no surprise that higher status means lower glucocorticoids. They found that the larger a female’s share of subordinates, the lower her glucocorticoid levels.

Story Source:
Materials provided by Duke University. Original written by Robin A. Smith. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.