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Article: A little help from serotonin.
- Article from:
- Newsweek
- Article date:
- December 29, 1997
- Author:
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Could a single brain chemical hold the key to happiness, high social status and a nice, flat stomach?
FOR RHESUS MONKEYS, LIFE IN THE WILD IS A little like high school. Some animals-call them losers--slouch around looking aggrieved. They're volatile and bellicose, slow to form alliances and loath to reconcile after a spat. One in five dies during the passage to adulthood. But while the losers scrap over bits of chow, other animals--call them winners-stay busy grooming each other. They maintain wide networks of allies. They deflect challenges without resorting to violence, and 49 out of 50 survive to produce offspring. Why do they fare so well? The answer is no ...