Movement patterns of yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus): Sex differences in juvenile development toward adult patterns

Abstract

AbstractAge‐sex differences in the sociospatial positioning of progressing baboon troops have been postulated as an important, protective aspect of baboon adaptation to a terrestrial existence. The protection theory is an ultimate hypothesis which can be disproven by showing that the postulated age‐sex positioning fails to occur. Alternatively, confidence in the protection theory can be increased if the postulated positioning persists across several troops despite significant opportunities for variation, and if progression order is shown to be linked to biological phenomena such as sex differences in physical maturation. Data from 73 individually identified, free‐ranging juveniles of both sexes were compared with previous findings. Small juveniles of several troops were more centrally located than large juveniles. Large juveniles males were more toward the front than were large juvenile females. As male walking infants and juveniles aged, a change in positioning (i.e., location) occurred: males were located increasingly toward the front of progressions. Comparable data from females suggest that the adult female pattern had begun to form among large juveniles. Data are consistent with an ultimate protection theory.