Oxygen equilibrium characteristics of hemoglobins of baboons, Theropithecus gelada,Papio hamadryas and Papio anubis

Hemoglobins of three baboons, Theropithecus gelada, Papio hamadryas- and Papio anubis, were purified and their oxygen equilibrium characteristics were studied. (a) Oxygen affinity, as expressed by P₅₀, oxygen partial pressure for 50% oxygen binding, was in the order of gelada hemoglobin > anubis hemoglobin > hamadryas hemoglobin although the differences were small. (b) The presence of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate reduced their oxygen affinity in a similar manner. The effect on baboon hemoglobins was greater than that on human and Japanese monkey hemoglobins. (c) The intensity of the Bohr effect, as expressed by $\text{?Δlog}\text{P}{}_{50}\text{ΔpH}$, at pH 7·4 agreed well with each other and the value was 0·62 in the presence of 2 mm diphosphoglycerate and 0·52 in its absence. These results indicate that phenotypic adaptation (acclimatory) may play an important role in the adaptation of gelada baboon to high altitudes.     

Male care and exploitation of infants in Papio anubis

Male olive baboons decreased the probability of their being threatened by other males, and increased their relative dominance, if they were carrying infants during encounters with other males. Carrying of infants by males could be hazardous to the infants. However, males also showed other behaviours which were beneficial to infants. Choice of infant for ‘exploting’ and certain forms of ‘caretaking’ by males varied with the age of the infant. Both exploitation and caretaking by males were almost completely restricted to those infants which were born after the males' immigration into the infants' troop. Males which exploited infants most often also showed most caretaking behaviours and had resided in that troop the longest. Males that had infants carried against them by other males most often were the most dominant and the youngest sexually mature males. Males still residing in their natal troop chose their matrilineal siblings most often for exploiting and certain caretaking behaviours. The overall effects of close male-infant relations on the fitness of the male and the infant are discussed.     

Spatial pattern in a troop of yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus) in Tanzania

Observations of adult and subadult yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus) revealed class differences in spatial pattern both during movement and when at rest. males tended to spend slightly more time on the periphery than did females, and travelled more at the front. Positions of males reflected their association with females: younger and older adults were more peripheral, while prime adults were focal. Positions of adult females reflected their reproductive state: mothers of young infants were gregarious, but pregnant females were peripheral and travelled at the sides. Lower-ranking females were also more peripheral. These patterns are discussed in relation to male and female reproductive differences as well as to predation.     

Experiments on respect of possession and property in hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas)

The question of how useful concepts of possession and property are in analysing the relationship between baboons and objects was evaluated in five experimental situations. The results of laboratory experiments concerning the possession of a food container and experiments on possession of fruits confirmed the inhibition of the dominant partner to take food away from a lower-ranking companion. This inhibition always appeared in male-male dyads, while in male-female and female-female dyads, the extent of respect depended on the difference in dominance rank and the type of food. However, in a dominance test, where food pieces were thrown between both partners, the dominant did not allow the subordinate to take a single piece. Given the choice, males preferred neutral food-cans over cans previously used by their partner. In experiments in a field enclosure, whole one-male units preferred their own feeding place over that of another unit. The outcome of the two experiments concerning choice does not support the alternative explanation involving ‘familiar’ versus ‘new’, but does support the property hypothesis.     

Activity patterns of yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus) in the amboseli National Park,Kenya

Quantitative data on the ways in which adult yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus) distribute their time among various activities are presented. Baboons spend approximately three-quarters of their time feeding or moving. Interseasonal variability in the proportions of time spent feeding and socializing is statistically significant, as are individual differences in the proportions of time spent feeding and moving. Although males and females spend approximately equal proportions of time in each of the activity states, the distributions of the durations of activity bouts show significant intersexual differences in central tendency and dispersion that are consistent with a model of intersexual differences in overall foraging strategies. Consistent diurnal patterns are conspicuously absent, and the relationship between this finding and other ecological variables is discussed.     

The ontogeny of social play in a feral troop of vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus): The function of early play

We describe the ontogeny of social play over the first 30 weeks of age in a troop of feral vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus) in Barbados. Play time increased rapidly for the first 10 weeks but remained relatively constant thereafter. The form of play changed with infant age; bouts became more frequent but of shorter duration. Play time, bout frequency, and bout duration at a given age differed between infants; younger infants altered their play patterns to complement those of older infants. All infants played more within their own year class than with older juveniles; play time increased with decreasing age difference between the infant and the play partner. Infants terminated a higher proportion of their play bouts the greater the age difference between themselves and their play partners. Preferred play partners are therefore individuals of similar age that will be similar in size and have matched motivation to play and form of play. Neither play time nor proportion of bouts initiated or terminated was correlated with the social rank of the play partner, which suggests that play is not directed toward individuals that may be high-value alliance partners. Maternal intervention in play occurred primarily when infants were<10 weeks old. It was not correlated with the age or social rank of the mother or with the age or social rank of her infant's play partner. Infants played more and terminated a lower proportion of their play bouts in the absence of their mothers than in their presence. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the primary function of early play is to enhance physical fitness and to develop coordination and other fighting skills, with minimal risk of injury.     

A-B-O blood groups in Kenya olive baboons (Papio anubis)

A feral population of 183 Kenyan olive baboons representing 5 troops was surveyed for salivary ABO-like antigens. Unlike previously reported populations, a high frequency of the O allele and low frequency of the B allele were detected. This observation may be the result of founder effect and/or genetic drift.     

The play partners of immature baboons

In a troop of free-ranging baboons, infants played predominantly with each other, and played most with the infant of the highest-ranking female in their mothers' subgroup. The frequency of infant play appeared to be affected both by age and by the number and ages of other infants in the troop. Juveniles and subadults played more with their siblings than with other animals of their siblings' age. Juvenile and subadult females played primarily with infants, and played most with infants whose mothers ranked higher than their own. Juvenile and subadult males played most with like-sexed peers. The distribution of play partners among immatures illustrates how demographic and maturational factors, as well as those related to kinship, may reinforce or counteract one another during development.     

Reversal of Ketamine/Xylazine combination anesthesia by Atipamezole in olive baboons (Papio anubis)

Background  The potential of Atipamezole (ATI) to reverse Ketamine/Xylazine (KET/XYL) anesthesia in the Olive baboon ( Papio anubis ) was studied.
Methods  Anesthesia was induced with 10 mg/kg KET and 0.5 mg/kg XYL intramuscularly. Mean arousal time (MAT), heart rate (HR), systolic arterial blood pressure (SAP), rectal temperature, respiratory rate (RR), and hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO₂) were monitored. Baboons were treated with: KET/XYL only, KET/XYL followed by 100 μg/kg ATI or by 200 μg/kg ATI administered 25 minutes after KET/XYL.
Results  Atipamezole rapidly reversed depressed HR and SAP (10 ± 5.2 minutes), RR (5 ± 2 minutes) and SpO₂ (3 ± 6 minutes) and significantly decreased MAT (13 ± 2.2 minutes) vs. KET/XYL alone (35 ± 5 minutes). Emesis was absent and salivation was observed after administration of 200 μg/kg ATI only.
Conclusions  Atipamezole at 100 μg/kg is sufficient for rapid and smooth reversal of KET/XYL anesthesia in the Olive baboon with minimal side effects.     

Use of females by male olive baboons (Papio anubis)

Wild male olive baboons (Papio anubis) used females and infants as agonistic buffers. Male residency status determined whether a male used females or whether they were used against him. The success of the strategy depended on the cooperation of the female and the context of the interaction. Female cooperation correlated with preexisting social affiliation with the male user. Male choice of female or infant buffers represented a compromise between the potential effectiveness of each in different situations and the social and spatial availability of females and infants. Nonreproductive social relationships may provide long-term strategic benefits to the individuals who invest in them.     

Social facilitation in a troop of Guinea Baboons (Papio papio) living in an enclosure

A method is described of assessing whether or not social facilitation occurred in a troop of Guinea Baboons (Papio papio) living in an enclosure. The method did not involve the removal of individuals from the troop.The study revealed an interaction between social facilitation and the quality of social relationship involved; affiliative relationships enhanced the social facilitation of leaving an experimental zone. The theoretical implications of this finding are discussed.The method also disclosed an anomaly of learning in a group: making mistakes during reversals of a discrimination problem was also subject to social facilitation. This finding corroborates Zajonc's report (1967) of several results on social facilitation of errors.     

A case of tool use in captive olive baboons (Papio anubis)

Some captive olive baboons can use their tails for picking up objects from the floor. When provided with a short handle and crosspiece, these animals learn to manipulate this tool with their hands, and one of them became proficient in inserting the crosspiece into a small wire loop, attached to a piece of bread and in lifting it up to his cage. Another baboon in the same colony who never used his tail to retrieve objects, did not attempt to use this tool. The psychological aspects of tail-use and tool-use are discussed.     

The ontogeny of crowing and copulatory behavior in Japanese quail (Coturnix Coturnix Japonica)

The onset and development of sexual behavior were examined in the male Japanese quail. Sixteen individuals were observed for crowing, tested for mating, and measured for cloacal gland area at 2-day intervals from day 10 to day 60 posthatch. Onset of the behaviors occured in a sequence. Crowing began at 32.8 days, mating attempts at 34.3 days and mating (cloacal contacts) at 36.9 days. Frequencies of each of these behaviors inceased rapidly from the time of onset. The order in the onset of sexual behaviors and the subsequent rapid increase in frequencies of all behaviors following their onset, indicates that there may be a single physiological factor which determines the characteristics of these events.