Kasanka’s Kinda baboons are in the news..!
An eight year study into the lives of Kinda baboons (Papio kindae) at Kasanka National Park reveals insight into the rapid development of infants when mothers are dominant and have strong social bonds.
A scientific paper, recently published in the journal Animal Behaviour, reveals how higher rank and the stronger affiliative relationships between a female Kinda baboons and her top female and top male social partners predicted more rapid infant behavioural maturation.
The results of the study suggest that maternal dominance and sociality may confer advantages related to infant development and independence that ultimately may permit females to more quickly invest in subsequent offspring and point to advantages of relationships with males outside of lowering infanticide threat.
The lead author, India Schneider-Crease (Associate professor at Arizona State Unveristy) comments –
“One possible benefit of this is that if the infant is able to mature faster, it can start feeding independently more quickly,” Schneider-Crease said. “The female can redirect her energy into maintaining her own condition and getting herself ready to get pregnant again and invest in another baby.”
More on this story can be found by ‘clicking here‘.
The paper citation is:
Schneider-Crease, I. A., Weyher, A. H., Mubemba, B., Kamilar, J. M., Petersdorf, M., & Chiou, K. L. (2022). Stronger maternal social bonds and higher rank are associated with accelerated infant maturation in Kinda baboons. Animal Behaviour, 189, 47-57.
We’d like to thank Dr. Brett Lewis (c/o Kasanka Trust) for sharing his wonderful photographs of the Kinda baboons.