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Gender and environment as determinants of behavior in infant common baboons (Papio cynocephalus)

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Abstract

Two groups of infant baboons were observed. The breast-fed group was housed in a gang cage with nursing mothers (n = 13) and the other motherless group was in a wire-cage nursery habitat (n = 20). Differences in behavior due to gender and environment were tested by analysis of variance. The results do not support the hypothesis that innate sex differences exist in baboons aged 0–3 months. Nursery-reared subjects had significantly higher scores for rough-and-tumble play, stereotypy, threat, avoid, explore, high tension, and nonaggressive social behaviors, but these behaviors are not significantly different between sexes in either group.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas at Austin, 78712, Austin, Texas, USA

    George H. Young M.A.

  2. The Southwest Foundation for Research and Education, 78284, San Antonio, Texas, USA

    Claud A. Bramblett Ph.D.

Authors
  1. George H. Young M.A.
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  2. Claud A. Bramblett Ph.D.
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Additional information

This research was supported by Public Health Service Grant No. HL-15914.

This article is based on an unpublished M.A. thesis, “Behavioral sex differences in the infant common baboon (Papio cynocephalus),” by George H. Young, The University of Texas at Austin, August 1976.

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Young, G.H., Bramblett, C.A. Gender and environment as determinants of behavior in infant common baboons (Papio cynocephalus). Arch Sex Behav 6, 365–385 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541181

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