From: Oliver Sparrow 
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 1996 08:45:06 +0100
Organization: Royal Institute of International Affairs


OK "how" word. Try ethnology, around the issue of dominance in pack
animals. Low status animals receive worse rations, have poorly operating
immune systesm and die of stress related ailments. Yup, there's a market
for Tagamet amongst low status wolves, chaps. All the caribou hooves you
can carry away. But note: having low status animals in the pack increases 
the well being of the others: they have better function immune systems, clearly
feel on top of matters. The low order individual is helping the group to feel
competence. Thus pecking order normalised social order, vitaites source 
of conflict and, in addition, creates functionality. Thus them what have the genes
plus cultural transmission required for pecking orders to be set up (a) generate
the conditions is which it is possibel for a miserable animal to know that it is
miserable specifically because its peers despise it and (b) this situation 
improves the survivability of the rest - and their genes. Ain't momma nature
a *sweetie*? All this, and cancer too.


_________________________________________________

  Oliver Sparrow
  ohgs@chatham.demon.co.uk