Social Organization
The basic unit is the harem, which is constituted of one male,
2 to 11 females and their young. The breeder male can sometimes tolerate a
"follower male" (often his son or his father). Several one-male
units can form a clan, within which males are generally genetically related.
Within these clans, males respect the females of each other: they do not try
to kidnap them and even collaborate in their defense. These clans form a larger
community, the troop, which shares the same home range and sleeping cliffs
and which is structured with a hierarchy. During the day, a one male unit
forages separately (generally units of the same clan are not very far) but
in the evening all the units of the troop gather at the sleeping cliffs to
spend the night together here (Picq, Coppens, 2001).
| Males' fights can occur because the access to females is restricted.
These aggressive behaviors occur at low frequency but high intensity,
which results in the strong dimorphism of the Hamadryas baboon. Essential
aspects of such fights are that only significantly stronger intruders
challenge a harem owner and that due to their dangerous weapons, the risk
of serious injuries are non-negligible. Since he has already invested
in the group, the owner of the harem fights harder to keep it than the
intruder(Guth, and Guth 1998). The male is the leader of the group. He assumes a protective function and actively intervenes to terminate social conflict between others, especially to shield youngsters from aggression. Differentiation of females' position occurs within harem. Females prefer the position of central females, which are the most socially active individuals of their harems, to the position of peripheral females, which are more specialized in ecological exploration and are generally the older females. However, agonistic interactions happened very rarely. This may be because the dominance relation remains very stable and is strictly respected by the subordinate female, while the dominant appears rather tolerant (Sigg, 1980). Females change very rarely in groups (2 to 3 times in their lifespan). Contrary to males, who stay in their natal group, females migrate. |
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Thi s picture has been found at http://www.knoxville@knoxville-zoo.org/baboons.htm. Received permission.
Playing enables young baboons to build their social behavior and it seems that stronger baboons 'self-handicap' themselves to avoid to loose their partners (Pereira, Preisser, 1998). Grooming plays a major role in intergroup and more especially intragroup interactions. It seems to be exchanged for itself because of its tension reducing effect and its positive influence on density-related stress effects (Leinfelder, de Vries, Deleu, Nelissen, 2001). However, the male seems to be the focus attention of grooming in the group (Fritz, 1979; Sigg, 1980).