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As humanity’s closest relatives in the animal kingdom, primates offer a fascinating look at complex social behavior in the wild. With emotional and intellectual abilities that mirror humans in many ways, the various primate species invite comparisons between their social structures and ours. AN recently released study performed by the German Primate Center points to a different similarity. After observing Guinean baboons in Senegal over a two-year period, researchers discovered a degree of gender equality in leadership. Both men and women have successfully embarked on group travel.
Guinea Baboons vs Hamadryas Baboons
of the six baboon species in Africa, four – Chacma, Kinda, olive and yellow baboons – organize themselves into simple, one-level societies. In other words, their groups do not contain smaller subgroups. The other two, Guinea baboons and hamadryas, operate in multi-level societies. The difference between the ways in which these two species construct their nomadic societies illustrates their different treatment of the sexes.
Hamadryas baboons, on the one hand, form single male units consisting of one male and a handful of females that mate exclusively with him. Then these units form clans, which in turn unite as bands. Throughout these bands, male baboons retain their multiple female partners and generally refuse to mix with other males. Their relationships are characterized by competition.
Guinean baboons, on the other hand, are significantly more fluid in their social structure. Although they still form the same male units, the females associated with a particular male switch mates at their discretion. They can stay with a male partner for a period of just a few weeks or as long as many years. Likewise, this social freedom extends to the males, who develop close bonds rather than rivalry among themselves.
Hamadryas baboon bands follow only male leaders. When it comes time to move from one area to another, only a male hamadryas baboon will initiate that mobilization. In contrast, three of the uni-level baboon species, chacma, olive and yellow baboons, will follow leaders of both sexes. Given the more open society of Guinean baboons, researchers wondered whether gender played a role or not. Would they operate like the other multi-level species, or adopt gender equality in their roaming habits?
Graduate student Davide Montanari led the researchers in the study, conducted from the Simenti facility of the German Primate Center. During their research, they observed 121 group departures and 100 journeys. In their analysis, they looked for how factors such as gender, age, and reproductive status influenced leadership. Their findings revealed another striking difference between Guinea baboons and hamadryas.
Gender equality among Guinean baboons
“Social organization alone does not determine who leads the group,” said Julia Fischer, head of the Cognitive Ethology Laboratory at German Primate Center. Despite sharing similar organizational principles in their societies, “Females in Guinean baboons have a high degree of social and physical freedom and are less subservient to males than in hamadrya baboons,” Fischer noted.
While men still initiated the majority of group movements, women started traveling at 60 percent 36 percent of the time. Of the total number of mobilizations initiated, researchers found that the group followed 80 percent of the time, regardless of the leader’s gender. Once on the move, both women and men continued to lead the group. In addition, the middle and rear of the trailing group was an even mix of male and female baboons, indicating that there is no gender-based hierarchy in the group.
However, lone males without accompanying units often traveled faster than the rest. Units stayed close to each other while traveling, bound by their close relationships.
Research on little Guinean baboon
Of the six baboon species, the Guinean baboons are the least educated. Prior to the publication of this study, it was believed that only men dictated group movements. Unlike hamadrya baboons, where males collect their females before traveling, Guinean males were thought to be less aggressive. They had been observed to lead their group more passively by leading by example. While this remains true, Montanari’s research reveals that women also exhibit these leadership behaviors.
Likewise, another study released in 2011 changed the perception of the Guinean baboon society. It broke with conventional assumptions about baboon social structures and fell into single-level or multi-level groups. Fluency among Guinean baboons led to formations of single all-male units, single male bachelors, and multiple male and female units. Although largely a multi-level species, these findings suggested a more complex understanding of the Guinean baboon’s socialization.
These fascinating creatures deserve more attention, but face environmental competition that will hinder our ability to study them. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists them as near threatened. Although customizable, their reach extends over a limited area in Western Africa where agriculture imposes their habitat. Farmers consider them a nuisance because they feed on crops. Hunters are dwindling in numbers. However, the Niokolo-Koba National Park provides a safe haven where a significant population thrives and other conservation efforts ensure their survival.
The Guinean baboon, the smallest of the six baboon species, will hopefully be around for a long time to come, providing researchers with a tempting topic to unravel with later studies.
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