The multilevel society of Guinea baboons

 Supervisor: Julia Fischer

I met Julia during a conference at the German Primate Centre. Immediately, I became fascinated by her model organism, the Guinea baboons (Papio papio). Guinea baboons form highly complex multi-level societies, in which individuals have different relationships of different qualities that change over time. The smallest level is a unit. Here one male associates with up to five females and a varying number of infants, juveniles and subadults. Three to five males can be bonded and form parties. These bonded males show elaborate greeting behaviours and help others, for instance, by grooming or supporting each other. Two or more parties may come together for foraging, travelling or sleeping - this is called a gang. Finally, when neighbouring gangs meet, they form a community that can encompass up to 350 individuals. Females have a network that can transcend even the party or gang boundaries.

I got in touch with Julia and nine months later, I had the amazing opportunity to visit the baboons at the wonderful field station Simenti, which is located at the Niokolo-Koba National Park in south eastern Senegal. Thanks to former and current students of Julia, the baboons are well habituated to humans, allowing observations in close proximity. I participated in genetic, physiological and behavioural data collection. This was a great experience, not only working for the first time with primates in the tropics, but also personally.

© Manon Schweinfurth