Consortship and Mating Success in Chacma Baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus)

Chacma baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus) show a lower consortship take‐over rate and longer consortship duration than the other savannah baboons ( Bulger 1993 ). It has been argued that researchers have focused on atypically small troops with few adult males, resulting in low competition for access to oestrous females. Consortship data from two mountain baboon troops containing seven and four males, respectively, were analysed to determine whether the troop with the greater number of males showed a weaker correlation between mating success and rank due to an expected higher consortship take‐over rate. No consort take‐overs were observed in either study troop and mating success in both troops was correlated strongly with male rank. The distribution of days spent in consortship amongst the males could be explained by the priority‐of‐access‐model. The degree of cycle overlap determined the number of males observed consorting oestrous females, whereas the number of males did not influence the relationship between rank and consorting activity.     

A-B-O groups of Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus, Kerr) in South Africa

The blood and saliva groups of 51 Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus, Kerr) were determined. The ABO blood group frequencies differed significantly from another subspecies (P. u. ursinus) but they gave a close agreement with the Hardy-Weinberg estimates. Thus the data are compatible with the hypothesis that the saliva groups of baboons are the products of two allelic genes A and B that are inherited in a similar manner to the A and B genes of humans.     

Factors Influencing the Ranging Behavior of Chacma Baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus) Living in a Human-Modified Habitat

The introduction and eradication of alien invasive plant species potentially alters feeding and spatial ecology of wild primates. We investigated whether the removal of an important dietary resource for wild chacma baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus), black wattle (Acacia mearnsii), from a nature reserve would result in longer daily path lengths (DPLs) and greater movement toward other resources, specifically alternative black wattle stands outside the reserve, agricultural plots, and sleeping and geophagy sites. We fitted a juvenile male baboon with a self-releasing GPS collar to track the focal troop’s movements on Wildcliff Nature Reserve and adjacent properties, located in the Western Cape, South Africa, from January 25, 2010 to January 18, 2011. During this time, Working for Water, an environmental conservation initiative of the South African Department of Water Affairs, removed black wattle from the baboons’ home range. We estimated monthly home range (5.30–20.58?km²) and DPL (1.7–11.7?km) and quantified the baboons’ use of five dominant vegetation types. Our vegetation use-availability analysis indicated that the troop preferred black wattle, Afromontane forests, and, to a lesser extent, pasture, but used agricultural plots and fynbos less than expected by availability. With increasing black wattle removal in the core area, the troop traveled further toward distant sources of black wattle, using sleeping sites out of their core area to accommodate such long day journeys. A general linear model indicated that movement to black wattle stands, as well as changing sleeping sites, day length, and both spring and winter seasons all significantly increased DPL. We suggest the influence that alien invasive species and their eradication has on ranging behavior should be a consideration in primate conservation and management policies.     

Socioecology Explains Individual Variation in Urban Space Use in Response to Management in Cape Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus)

International Journal of Primatology - The presence of wildlife adjacent to and within urban spaces is a growing phenomenon globally. When wildlife’s presence in urban spaces has negative...     

The Relationship Between GPS Sampling Interval and Estimated Daily Travel Distances in Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus)

International Journal of Primatology - Modern studies of animal movement use the Global Positioning System (GPS) to estimate animals’ distance traveled. The temporal resolution of GPS fixes...     

Ontogenetic Scaling of Fore- and Hind Limb Posture in Wild Chacma Baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus)

Large-scale interspecific studies of mammals ranging between 0.04–280 kg have shown that larger animals walk with more extended limb joints. Within a taxon or clade, however, the relationship between body size and joint posture is less straightforward. Factors that may affect the lack of congruence between broad and narrow phylogenetic analyses of limb kinematics include limited sampling of (1) ranges of body size, and/or (2) numbers of individuals. Unfortunately, both issues are inherent in laboratory-based or zoo locomotion research. In this study, we examined the relationship between body mass and elbow and knee joint angles (our proxies of fore- and hind limb posture, respectively) in a cross-sectional ontogenetic sample of wild chacma baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus) habituated in the De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa. Videos were obtained from 33 individuals of known age (12 to ≥108 months) and body mass (2–29.5 kg) during walking trials. Results show that older, heavier baboons walk with significantly more extended knee joints but not elbow joints. This pattern is consistent when examining only males, but not within the female sample. Heavier, older baboons also display significantly less variation in their hind limb posture compared to lighter, young animals. Thus, within this ontogenetic sample of a single primate species spanning an order of magnitude in body mass, hind limb posture exhibited a postural scaling phenomenon while the forelimbs did not. These findings may further help explain 1) why younger mammals (including baboons) tend to have relatively stronger bones than adults, and 2) why humeri appear relatively weaker than femora (in at least baboons). Finally, this study demonstrates how field-acquired kinematics can help answer fundamental biomechanical questions usually addressed only in animal gait laboratories.     

Body Temperature and Physical Activity Correlates of the Menstrual Cycle in Chacma Baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus)

We investigated the temporal relationship between abdominal temperature, physical activity, perineal swelling, and urinary progesterone and estradiol concentrations over the menstrual cycle in unrestrained captive baboons. Using a miniature temperature‐sensitive data logger surgically implanted in the abdominal cavity and an activity data logger implanted subcutaneously on the trunk, we measured, continuously over 6 months at 10‐min intervals, abdominal temperature and physical activity patterns in four female adult baboons Papio hamadryas ursinus (12.9–19.9 kg), in cages in an indoor animal facility (22–25°C). We monitored menstrual bleeding and perineal swelling changes, and measured urinary progesterone and estradiol concentrations, daily for up to 6 months, to ascertain the stage and length of the menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle was 36 ± 2 days (mean ± SD) long and the baboons exhibited cyclic changes in perineal swellings, abdominal temperature, physical activity, urinary progesterone, and estradiol concentrations over the cycle. Mean 24‐hr abdominal temperature during the luteal phase was significantly higher than during the periovulatory phase (ANOVA, F_{(2, 9)} = 4.7; P = 0.04), but not different to that during the proliferative phase. Physical activity followed a similar pattern, with mean 24‐hr physical activity almost twice as high in the luteal than in the periovulatory phase (ANOVA, P = 0.58; F_{(2, 12)} = 5.8). We have characterized correlates of the menstrual cycle in baboons and shown, for the first time, a rhythm of physical activity and abdominal temperature over the menstrual cycle, with a nadir of temperature and activity at ovulation. Am. J. Primatol. 74:1143‐1153, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Demographic consequences of a food and water shortage to desert Chacma Baboons,Papio ursinus

The age-sex composition of a chacma baboon (Papio ursinus)population changed following a 5-month interval of extreme food and water shortages. Mortality was significantly greater among adult females, juveniles, and infants than among adult males. The probable basis of 19 of 22 deaths during the interval of food and water shortage was starvation caused by drought conditions which localized water sources, reducing access to food resources. This resulted in a long-term (> 6-year) shift in adult sex ratios within this three-troop population, from 1.04 to 1.42-1.58 adult and subadult males per adult female. Patterns of intertroop interaction were also influenced by food scarcity, which determined which troop was most seriously affected.     

Foraging Profile,Activity Budget and Spatial Ecology of Exclusively Natural-Foraging Chacma Baboons (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Papio ursinus</Emphasis>) on the Cape Peninsula,South Africa

Exploitation of anthropogenic foods has profound effects on various aspects of the behavior and ecology of nonhuman primates. On the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, incentives to exploit novel resources are high and most local chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) feed on anthropogenic foods. Here we investigate the foraging profile, activity budget, and ranging behavior of a Peninsula group that feeds exclusively on natural foods. We predicted that the group would exploit the marine foods available to them and feed more extensively on subterranean foods, spend more time feeding and traveling, and occupy a larger area and travel further than groups that feed on anthropogenic foods, and groups elsewhere that occupy highly productive habitats. We tracked the group using handheld GPS units, and recorded behavioral data using instantaneous scan sampling in four seasons through 13 months. Our predictions were supported with the study group feeding on marine foods during all for seasons, but allocating a small percentage (<5%) of their total feeding time to exploiting these foods. Also, the group used a greater area (45.3 km²) and traveled further (5.9 km/day), and allocated more time to feeding and traveling, than previously studied groups on the Peninsula that exploit anthropogenic foods. These findings highlight behavioral variation in baboons associated with anthropogenic food use. Comparison of our results with those reported elsewhere should allow management authorities to more accurately predict changes in behavior of cercopithecoid monkeys as their access to anthropogenic foods is gradually restricted.     

Digit Ratios and Dominance in Female Baboons (Papio hamadryas and Papio ursinus)

A growing body of literature suggests that the ratio between the second and fourth digits of the hands (2D:4D ratio) is associated with exposure to prenatal sex hormones in a variety of animals including primates. Female baboons form dominance hierarchies composed of matrilines of related individuals, and the social mechanisms contributing to the structure of these hierarchies have been well studied. We here investigated the relationship between inferred prenatal androgen effects (PAE) and female rank in a captive troop of Hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) with a typical social structure and three captive groups of chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) made up entirely of unrelated orphans. Low 2D:4D ratios (high inferred PAE) were associated with higher-ranking females and high 2D:4D ratios (low inferred PAE) with lower-ranking females in both focal species. This negative correlation between 2D:4D ratio and rank suggests prenatal androgens are linked with the maintenance of female ranks within matrilines in troops with a natural social structure and to the ranks acquired by orphan females.     

Distribution and population estimate for the chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

We report the current species distribution and population estimate for the chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) in KwaZulu-Natal Province (KZN), South Africa, based on an analysis of estimated area of occupancy and estimated home range size. This estimate suggests a total population size of approximately 11,000 individuals for KZN. Much of the province is uninhabited, with a density in occupied areas of approximately 1.8 animals per km(2). The current population size may be more than an order of magnitude smaller than historical population size. Chacma baboons now exhibit a highly fragmented and discontinuous distribution in KZN, with 58% of the population residing within protected areas, and more than half of these troops reside in areas >1,500?m above average sea level. The small population and highly fragmented distribution of chacma baboons in KZN, combined with rapidly increasing human population size and transformation of natural habitat, suggest this species requires greater conservation attention.     

Body Temperature Changes in Free-ranging Baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus) in the Namib Desert, Namibia

We surgically implanted temperature sensitive telemeters intraperitonealy in free-ranging baboons. Thereafter, we recorded body temperature changes while the baboons were free-ranging and under visual observation. Two distinct patterns of daily body temperature fluctuations occurred; they were related to the availability of drinking water. Core body temperature fluctuated by as much as 5.3°C and regularly exceeded 41°C. Behavioral adaptations of the baboons, notably sandbathing, appeared to be associated with the regulation of body temperature.     

The effects of extreme seasonality of climate and day length on the activity budget and diet of semi‐commensal chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) in the Cape Peninsula of South Africa

We examined the effects of extreme seasonality on the activity budget and diet of wild chacma baboons with access to a high‐quality, human‐derived food source. The Cape Peninsula of South Africa is unusual among nonhuman primate habitats due to its seasonal extremes in day length and climate. Winter days are markedly shorter and colder than summer days but have higher rainfall and higher primary production of annually flowering plants. This combination of fewer daylight hours but higher rainfall is substantially different from the ecological constraints faced by both equatorial baboon populations and those living in temperate climates with summer rainfall. We sought to understand how these seasonal differences affect time budgets of food‐enhanced troops in comparison to both other food‐enhanced troops and wild foraging troops at similar latitudes. Our results revealed significant seasonal differences in activity budget and diet, a finding that contrasts with other baboon populations with access to high‐return anthropogenic foods. Similar to nonprovisioned troops at similar latitudes, troop members spent more time feeding, socializing, and traveling during the long summer days compared to the short winter days, and proportionately more time feeding and less time resting in summer compared to winter. Summer diets consisted mainly of fynbos and nonindigenous foods, whereas winter diets were dominated by annually flowering plants (mainly grasses) and ostrich pellets raided from a nearby ostrich farm. In this case, food enhancement may have effectively exaggerated seasonal differences in activity budgets by providing access to a high‐return food (ostrich pellets) that was spatially and temporally coincident with abundant winter fallback foods (grasses). The frequent use of both alien vegetation and high‐return, human‐derived foods highlights the dietary flexibility of baboons as a key element of their overall success in rapidly transforming environments such as the South African Cape Peninsula. Am. J. Primatol. 72:104–112, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Natal Attraction in Adult Female Baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus) in the Moremi Reserve, Botswana

Mammalian females are strongly attracted to infants and interact regularly with them. Female baboons make persistent attempts to touch, nuzzle, smell and inspect other females’ infants, but do not hold them for long periods, carry them, or provide other kinds of care for them. Mothers generally tolerate these interactions, but never initiate them. The function of these brief alloparental interactions is not well understood. Infant handling might be a form of reproductive competition if females’ interest in infants causes distress to mothers or harm to their infants. Alternatively, infant handling might be the product of selection for appropriate maternal care if females who are highly responsive to infants are the most successful mothers. We test several predictions derived from these hypotheses with data collected in a free‐ranging group of baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus) in the Moremi Reserve of Botswana. Infants were most attractive when they were very young. Mothers of young infants were approached by other adult females on average once every 6 min, and other females attempted to handle their infants approximately once every 9 min. By the time infants were a year old, their mothers were being approached only once every 30 min and infants were being handled only once every 5 h. Females were more strongly attracted to other females’ infants when they had young infants of their own, and their interest in other females’ infants declined as their own infants matured. Females seemed to be equally attracted to all infants, but had greater access to offspring of their relatives and subordinate females. Females nearly always grunted as they handled infants. As in other contexts grunts are a reliable predictive signal that non‐aggressive behavior will follow, the use of grunts before handling suggests that these interactions were not a form of deliberate harassment.     

Isospora papionis n. sp. (Eimeriidae) of the Chacma Baboon Papio ursinus (Kerr, 1792)

SYNOPSIS. Isospora papionis n. sp. is described from the chacma baboon Papio ursinis (Kerr, 1792). Histopathologic examination revealed 3 of 20 baboons to be infected, but no organisms were found on examination of the feces. Macrogametes and sporulated oocysts were observed in the small intestine, mainly in the jejunum and ileum, invariably in an epithelial or subepithelial location at the proximal portions of the crypts of Lieberkühn. Intact sporulated oocysts averaged 17 by 11 μ and had very thin walls which were often partially collapsed between the sporocysts. The sporocysts were somewhat flattened on one side and averaged 11 by 8.5 μ. A large sporocyst residuum was present.