Trichobezoars in baboons

Background  There is little information available concerning trichobezoars in the non-human primate literature.
Methods  We evaluated 118 cases of trichobezoar in baboons over a 29-year period at the Southwest National Primate Research Center.
Results  The anatomic locations affected in decreasing order were the stomach, small intestine, cecum, esophagus and colon. The most common clinical history was weight loss. The most frequent associated pathology included gastrointestinal inflammation and ulceration, emaciation, peritonitis, intussusception, pneumonia, and aspiration. Trichobezoars were the cause of death in nine baboons and the reason for euthanasia in 12. Females were 2.14 times more likely than males to be affected. The greater the percentage of group housing time, the more likely the baboon is to develop trichobezoars.
Conclusions  The baboon may present a useful model to evaluate the etiology, genetic predisposition, physiopathology, neurobiology, and treatment response of trichobezoars.     

Female transfer in baboons

Eight of 19 identified adult females transferred over 7 years in a study of intertroop relations among Papio ursinus at Suikerbosrand. Only one of the eight was cycling at the time of transfer. Five of the seven recent mothers who transferred had lost their infants shortly before transferring. Females who transferred received no more aggression before or after their transfer than females who did not transfer. The most important factors determining this extraordinarily high rate of female transfer include subtrooping and absence of predation.     

Infanticide in hamadryas baboons

The results of 20-year study of infanticide cases in hamadryas baboon troop of the Sukhumi colony and 10-year observations in Gumista Natural Reserve are presented. The allopatric behaviour which may be the cause of infant death, is shown to be common for 4-7 year old males. In behaviour of older males directed to the infants the elements of aggression predominate. The majority of injuries and infanticide by males takes place in the situations associated with a dominant male change in the group or with the introduction of new females into the groups. In the groups where the social relationships are not fully organized, the appearance of infant leads to decrease of dominant male function and to appropriation of infant by a male and its traumatizing. As a result of infanticide the infants of young 4-7 year old females die most of all. The death of infants commonly occurs during the introduction of young males into the group. The probability of infanticide during the introduction of older males is lower.     

Forest living baboons in Uganda

The climate and vegetation of the study area is described: in many ways it was not typical of baboon habitats in Uganda, but had the advantage and interest of offering a clear choice of a variety of habitats. The structure and composition of the baboon population is described Ndashthis was a rapidly expanding population with no seasonality in breeding. Their use of the     

Spontaneous gallbladder pathology in baboons

Background Gallbladder pathology (GBP) is a relatively uncommon, naturally occurring morbidity in both baboons and humans. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 7776 necropsy reports over a 20 year period to determine the prevalence of baboon GBP. Results Ninety‐seven cases of GBP were identified, yielding a 20 year population prevalence of 1.25%. GBP is more common in adult female baboons, occurring with a female to male ratio of nearly 2:1. Among gallbladder pathologies, cholecystitis (35.1%) and cholelithiasis (29.9%) were the most prevalent abnormalities, followed by hyperplasia (16.5%), edema (15.5%), amyloidosis (5.2%), fibrosis (4.1%), necrosis (4.1%), and hemorrhage (1.0%). Conclusion Many epidemiologic similarities exist between GBP in baboons and humans suggesting that the baboon may serve as a reliable animal model system for investigating GBP in humans.     

Triadic interactions in Savanna-dwelling baboons

Interactions between adult males and infants may have important consequences not only for males and infants, but also for mothers. Considerable attention has been paid to interactions that involve two males and an infant. Investigators have proposed three different general strategies to account for this behavior: (a) exploitation of the infant for one male’s advantage, (b) protection of the infant from harassment and aggression, and (c) development of relationships with the infant’s mother. We review various accounts of these interactions, detail the hypotheses used to explain the behavior, make predictions derived from the hypotheses, and evaluate available data for testing the predictions. We conclude that multiple factors are probably at work, but the development of social relations between a male and an infant’s mother is a central force.     

Antithrombin III activity in baboons

The antithrombin III-heparin cofactor activity of 65 baboons and 130 healthy human subjects was measured. The results indicate that antithrombin III-heparin cofactor activity is significantly lower in baboons than in humans. The increased activity of the coagulation system of baboon is coupled with decreased antithrombin III-heparin cofactor activity. In humans each of these changes is associated with increased risk of thrombosis, but the baboon has a very low risk of developing thrombosis. Other factors probably balance the coagulation-coagulation inhibition systems in baboons.     

Dispersal in sub-Saharan baboons.

In most mammalian species, males tend to leave their natal group and disperse farther than females, while females tend to be philopatric. Primates generally follow this rule, although long-term studies of a variety of species are revealing an increasing number of exceptions. This paper reviews dispersal patterns in 3 subspecies of savanna baboons (Papio cynocephalus cynocephalus, P. cynocephalus anubis, P. cynocephalus ursinus) which exhibit very similar patterns of social organization. Males usually disperse from the natal group at 8-10 years of age. Female dispersal is rare but well documented. Inbreeding avoidance as well as enhanced mating opportunities are suggested as ultimate causes of dispersal. Several proximate factors implicated in the timing of dispersal events are also reviewed.     

Alveolar bone loss in wild baboons

Radiograph-based methods were used to assess alveolar bone loss in 12 juvenile and 18 adult baboons (Papio hamadryas, sensu lato) living in the Awash National Park, Ethiopia. Alveolar bone loss, as measured from the cementoenamel junction to the alveolar crest, averaged about 1 mm in juveniles and about 1.5 mm in adults. Densitometry of alveolar bone from the radiographs provides a baseline for comparisons with other adult baboons. Periodontal disease surveys of baboon populations using such methods may identify potential etiological agents. Such knowledge may contribute to a better understanding of periodontal disease etiology in humans. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Fatal intragroup kidnapping in yellow baboons

The fatal kidnapping of a 5-day-old baboon (Papio cynocephalus) in Amboseli National Park, Kenya, is described. Although pulling and rough handling of primate infants by nonmothers are frequently observed, records of fatal intragroup kidnappings are rare. In the instance described here, the mother, a healthy, primiparous female, did not retrieve the infant from the kidnapper, a higher-ranking juvenile female of the same group, until he died 3 days later, presumably from starvation or dehydration. This incident is compared with other fatal intragroup kidnappings in nonhuman primates and related to adaptive interpretations.     

Natural Chagas disease in four baboons

Background  Chagas disease is common in Central and South America and the southern United States. The causative agent is Trypanosoma cruzi (order Kinetoplastida, family Trypanosomatidae), a kinetoplastid protozoan parasite of humans and other vertebrates. It is a serious public health issue and the leading cause of heart disease and cardiovascular death in Central and South America. In 1984, a colony baboon was discovered to be infected with T. cruzi .
Methods  As the initial diagnosis was made by microscopic observation of the amastigote forms of T. cruzi in myocardial fibers, T. cruzi amastigotes have been identified in three additional baboons.
Results  The primary findings were similar in all four baboons and were congestive heart failure with edema of dependent areas, hydrothorax, hydropericardium, and multifocal to diffuse lymphoplasmacytic myocarditis.
Conclusions  A baboon animal model of Chagas disease could contribute significantly to the development of therapies for the disease in humans.     

Adaptations of crop-raiding baboons in Kenya

A field study of baboon behavior as it relates to crop-raiding was conducted on the Kenya Coast. The results proved useful for quantifying the distribution, movement, and other factors of their behavior. Such variables as troop organization, crop season, and the behavior of the farmers influence raiding behavior. Apparently diversionary activities of crop-raiding baboons result from troop distribution along habitat margins between farms and forest and from baboon vigilance behavior.     

Adenine phosphoribosyl transferase polymorphism in baboons

Two allelic isozymes of adenine phosphoribosyl transferase (APRT) were detected by starch gel electrophoresis of baboon hemolysates. Extensive family data verified autosomal codominant inheritance. The gene frequencies of five subspecies of baboons differed significantly. The activity of erythrocyte APRT is sufficiently high to enable the use of this enzyme as a sensitive marker for assessing chimerism in research involving bone marrow transplantation.This research was supported in part by NIH Grants HL28972, HG00336, and HV53030.     

Tool use in captive hamadryas baboons

A subadult male of a captive harem of hamadryas baboons learned, by instrumental trial-and-error learning, to use a tool to supply food for the harem. The behavior did not spread through the harem by imitation. The subadult male's rank in the harem's dominance hierarchy did not change as a result of his tool use.     

Study of reconciliation in anubis baboons

The study of post-conflict reconciliation in corral living anubis baboons was carried out. It was established that more than third part of the all the conflicts were followed with reconciliation, and the mean value for the frequency of reconciliation tendency was 27.3 +/- 2.4. The frequency of reconciliation in different categories of conflicting pairs of animals was comparable. 75% of cases of reconciliation occurred during the first 2 minutes after the conflict. Use of definite behavioral patterns by the individuals for demonstration of reconciliation depended on sex of the participants and on their role in the conflict. Differences in the indices of reconciliation tendency in high and low rank monkeys were found.