Being top baboon costs males their longevity

(Duke University) A male baboon's social dominance requires constant physical defense and leaves its mark on his genes. Tracing the activity of 500 methylation sites on the baboon genome, a team of researchers working with the famous Amboseli baboon troop has found that the dominant males trade longevity for fecundity. The dominant males get more babies, but they have fewer years. If a male drops in social status, his estimated rate of aging drops as well.