ranking females inherit their high rank), the causal relationship between rank and gene expression is much less clear in males that fight for social dominance. Using genotyping and a sophisticated statistical technique rooted in epidemiology, Lea et al.(10) conclude that the gene expression signature observed in high-ranking male baboons likely precedes their attainment of high rank. The authors conjecture that a proinflammatory transcriptomic state may be an indicator of high condition and/or may be needed for success and recovery in response to physical competition. Together, these two studies add to the growing realization that social context is critical for understanding the relationship between social status and immune function. Both Snyder-Mackler et al.(9) and Lea et al.(10) explore the effects of social status and stress on behavior and gene expression at the level of the transcriptome and epigenome. These studies considerably advance our understanding of interactions across