Handedness in Humans and Geladas

I thought I’d share a paper I wrote from last semester’s Comparative Psychology class on handedness in humans and geladas. Debating if I should actually follow through with this preliminary report and do some data collection. There is a YouTube video that accompanies this paper, which will appear on the bottom of the page.

Handedness can be defined as the unequal distribution of fine motor skills between the left and right hands. Simply put, handedness is the preference to use left, right or both hands when performing tasks. Humans are mostly right-handed across cultures. Here, I compare handedness in humans (Homo sapiens) to handedness in geladas (Theropithecus gelada).

Right-handedness is predominant across cultures in humans. About 85% to 90% of humans report themselves as right-handers (10). In studies of great apes, comparative analysis indicates that chimpanzees and bonobos exhibit population-level preference in right-handedness while gorillas and orangutans do not exhibit population-level preference in handedness (10). However, right-handedness seems to be uniquely human as no other primate species has such a clear bias (1, 13 & 14). The objective of this preliminary study is to elucidate whether geladas exhibit preference in handedness.

A male gelada at The Bronx Zoo.

Geladas are Old World Monkeys and can be found in the high plateau of North Central Ethiopia and Eritrea (9 & 2). Geladas are sometimes referred to as “bleeding heart monkeys” due to the presence of a naked, pink patch of skin on the chest of males and females that looks like an hourglass (2). They exhibit sexual dimorphism; males have manes and are slightly larger than females. The maximum lifespan of a gelada is about 19 years in the wild (5) and well over 30 years in captivity (9). Geladas are gramnivores; they are unique among primates because grass is their main food source but is occasionally supplemented by seeds, roots, and bulbs (3).

There are many definitions of handedness. Here, I define handedness as the preference of left, right or either hand when performing tasks. In humans, those who have a preference for using their right hand are right-handed while those that prefer using their left hand are left-handed. Those that prefer to use either hand when performing tasks are ambidextrous.

Approximate location of Broca's area and Wernicke's area. Photo from Wikipedia.

Handedness is due to the lateralization (asymmetry) of the brain hemispheres. Those that are right-handed have a more dominant left hemisphere, while those that are left-handed have a more dominant right hemisphere. In most humans, the left hemisphere of the brain is more dominant. The left brain hemisphere is also involved in language and is where Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area are located. Broca’s area is involved in speech production while Wernicke’s area is involved in language comprehension.

Right-handed preference is deep-seated in hominid evolution. Analysis of stone tools from Lower Pleistocene sites in Koobi Fora, Kenya and Middle Pleistocene sites in Ambrona, Spain showed that there is a consistent pattern of tools being produced by right-handed Homo habilis and Homo erectus (15). Preference for right-handedness may have existed as early as 1.4 to 1.9 million years ago, and might hint that the hominid brain had lateralized and was well on its way to becoming more specialized for different functions (15). Analysis of scratch patterns in incisors and canines from archaic humans (Sima de los Huesos in Atapuerca, Spain) and European Neandertals (Sima de los Huesos in Atapuerca, Spain and Vindija, Croatia) also showed that there was a persistent pattern of right handedness (6 & 7).

The prevalence of right-handedness in humans has a linear correlation with left hemisphere dominance (12). Since the left brain hemisphere plays an important role in language, brain lateralization leads to right-handedness. Thus, the prevalence of right-handedness in humans is a byproduct of human language.

The left-handed Ned Flanders from The Simpsons. Photo from SF Weekly.

The subjects for this study are from a captive population of geladas at The Bronx Zoo (Wildlife Conservation Society). There were 7 individuals present during the observations and all were male. Observations were done on two separate days between 12 P.M. and 3 P.M. The geladas were recorded using a video camera, and the recordings were later analyzed.

Geladas spend a significant amount of their time foraging (8). Site studies show that geladas spend 35.7% to 81.6% of their time foraging (8). There is a positive correlation between altitude and time spent foraging; more energy is burnt at higher altitudes, therefore more time is spent foraging (11).

A male gelada foraging with both hands.

My observations showed that geladas use either hand while foraging. They use either their left or right hands to pick up bunches of grass to eat. As my observation progressed, I became concerned that their repetitive motion of picking up grass and putting it in their mouths was not a sufficiently varied behavior to indicate handedness. Therefore, I also observed the geladas grooming.

A female gelada grooming herself.

There are two types of grooming in geladas: autogrooming (self grooming) and allogrooming (social grooming). Grooming is not only important for hygienic reasons but also important for strengthening social bonds (4). A study by Dunbar suggests that the major reason for grooming is the satisfaction of physical contact between the groomer and the individual being groomed (4).

From my observations, allogrooming starts with the individual being groomed initiating eye contact with the groomer. Then, the individual lies down and presents the area that needs to be groomed. Sometimes, a groomer simply approaches the individual they want to groom and starts grooming them. My observations showed that there is also no preference for which hand is used by geladas during grooming. The geladas used either hand for both autogrooming and allogrooming. The decision to use their left or right hand seemed to be determined by the area of the body that needed grooming.

From my observations, it seems that the geladas use either hand for foraging and grooming. The geladas at The Bronx Zoo seem to exhibit ambidexterity because they have no preference for their left or right hand, unlike humans who are predominantly right-handed.

Handedness is correlated with brain hemisphere dominance. For most humans, the left brain hemisphere is dominant and is also involved in language. Thus, the prevalence of right-handedness is a byproduct of human language. None of the geladas I observed at The Bronx Zoo exhibited preference for handedness. This is probably due to the fact that geladas do not have language; therefore, their left brain hemisphere is not dominant and does not lead to right-handedness. Besides foraging and grooming, more behavioral repertoire should be used in future analysis to further elucidate the preference in gelada handedness.









 References

 1. Cashmore, L., Uomini, N., & Chapelain, A. (2008). The evolution of handedness in humans and great apes. Journal of Anthropological Sciences, 86, 7-35.

 2. Dunbar, R.I.M., &; Dunbar, P. (1975). Contributions to Primatology: Social Dynamics of Gelada Baboons (Vol. 6). Basel, Switzerland: S. Karger AG.

 3. Dunbar, R.I.M. (1984). Reproductive Decisions. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

 4. Dunbar, R.I.M. (2008). The social role of touch in humans and primates: Behavioural function and neurobiological mechanisms. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 34(2), 260-268.

 5. Falk, D. (2000). Primate Diversity. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company.

 6. Frayer, W.D., Fiore, I., Lalueza-Fox, C., Radovčić J., & Bondioli, L. (2010). Right handed Neandertals: Vindija and beyond. Journal of Anthropological Sciences, 88, 113-127.

 7. Frayer, W.D., Lozano, M., de Castro, J.M.B., Carbonell, E., Arsuaga, J.L., Radovčić J., Fiore, I., & Bondioli, L. (2011). Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, doi:10.1080/1357650X.2010.529451

 8. Gron, KJ. (2008, September 3). Primate Factsheets: Gelada baboon (Theropithecus gelada) Taxonomy, Morphology, & Ecology. Retrieved May 11, 2011, from www.pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/gelada_baboon

 9. Hiller, C. (2000). "Theropithecus gelada" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved May 11, 2011, from www.animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Theropithecus_ gelada.html

10. Hopkins, W.D. (2006). Comparative and Familial Analysis of Handedness in Great Apes. Psychology Bulletin, 132(4), 538–559.

 11. Iwamoto, T., & Dunbar, R.I.M. (1983). Thermoregulation, Habitat Quality and The Behavioural Ecology of Gelada Baboons. Journal of Animal Ecology, 52, 257-366.

12. Knecht, S., Dräger, B., Deppe, M., Bobe, L., Lohmann, H., Flöel, A., Ringelstein, E.-B., & Henningsen, H. (2000). Handedness and hemispheric language dominance in healthy humans. Brain, 123 (12), 2512-2518

13. McGrew, W.C., & Marchant, L.F. (1997). On the other hand: Current issues in and meta-analysis of the behavioral laterality of hand function in nonhuman primates. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 104(25), 201-232.

 14. Steele, J. & Uomini, N. (2009). Can the Archaeology of Manual Specialization Tell Us Anything About Language Evolution? A Survey of the State of Play. Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 19, 97-110.

15. Toth, N. (1985). Archaeological Evidence for Preferential Right-Handedness in The Lower And Middle Pleistocene, and Its Possible Implications. Journal of Human Evolution, 14(6,) 607-614.

Someone Cited My Thesis!

Some time last week, a little birdie sent me a link to what appears to be a page from American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Said birdie also mentioned that the link has to do with my honors thesis. Along with the link was a thumbnail of a male hamadryas baboon that looked rather familiar. It took me a few seconds to realize that I am looking at Fadi, or Moja as what he is referred to by the zoo. (Follow this link for who's who at Prospect Park Zoo) Confused as to what my honors thesis, Moja and AMNH have in common, I opened the link. The link directed me to one of AMNH's Young Naturalist Awards winner, a young gentleman by the name of Henry.

Henry's winning entry is Hamadryas Baboons, Papio hamadryas: Captive vs. Wild. His research was on hamadryas baboon behaviors, where he compares the Prospect Park Zoo troops with the ones from Larissa Swedell's field work in Ethiopia. And guess what, he cited my thesis! I'm excited that someone dug up my baby and used it in their research. This is the first time (that I know of) someone actually cited my research. I'm so glad I uploaded my honor thesis on Scribd instead of just letting the bound copy collect dust in my college's library. Anyway ...

Henry's research is quite interesting. He found that there are behavioral differences between captive and wild hamadryas baboons. Also, grooming was not the highest in frequency compared to other behaviors (sitting was the highest in frequency). This could be explained by the hot weather or the fact that data for this research was only collected for about 9 hours. Nonetheless, this is heading in a good direction and a pretty good research topic for a 15 year-old. Hopefully he'll stick to his passion for primates (baboons) and go on to be the next primatologist.

Note that the male hamadryas photo "Simen, a 19-year-old Alpha Male" (above) is actually Moja, Simen's offspring. Simen can be identified with a mole underneath his left eye, which is absent in this photo. Click on the link to read my thesis, A Cross-Species Comparative Study: Grooming Patterns in Captive Populations of Hamadryas Baboons and Geladas.

A Blond Baby Hamadryas Baboon!

The birth of a baby hamadryas baboon ten days ago was a joyous occasion for Scud and her male, Shapira, at the Safari Park in Ramat Gan, Israel. The arrival of the baby was extra special because she was born with a genetic mutation that made her fur blond (golden yellow). I have cautioned myself by not referring to the color of her fur as "ginger" or red. Instead, I describe it as blond-haired.

The baby carries within her a mutated gene that was passed down by her mother and can be traced back to her great grandparents. In the 1950s, the Yemenites went to Israel and brought with them their pets which were albino hamadryas baboon. These albino baboons late became part of the collection at the old Tel Aviv Zoo. Because of these albino individuals, the recessive gene are being passed down from one generation to another resulting in periodic births of albino and blond-haired offspring. It has been 20 years since a blond-haired baby was born in Safari Park. The baby hamadryas baboon has yet to be named but they totally should name her Barbie. Hah!

Somewhere around the 0:34 mark in the second video, Ms. Terkel (Safari Park curator) mumbled about how the Yemenites came to Israel with their flying carpets. What was she smoking? Also, she kept saying "gingy". Who says that! Anyway ... enjoy the videos below.

There are two videos, click on 1 and 2 to change them.

Normally, a baby hamadryas baboon is born with black fur. As they mature, the black fur will slowly turn into a grayish silver (males) and grayish brown (females) coloration.

EDIT: ZooBorns covered the story of this baby baboon as well. Click here to go to their site (they have photos of the baby).

Prospect Park Zoo's Baby Hamadryas Named Azizi and Jabari

After more than a thousand suggestions submitted by the public, the two baby hamadryas baboons at Prospect Park Zoo are given the name "Azizi" and "Jabari" respectively. Their names are in Arabic, the language spoken in modern day Egypt (where these baboons can be found). "Azizi" means precious while "Jabari" means brave. Both Azizi (mother, Rebecca) and Jabari (mother, Kaia) are on exhibit daily from 10 AM to 2 PM inside the Animal Lifestyles building.

More at:
Azizi and Jabari, Prospect Park Zoo's newest baboons, get monikers inspired by their ancestry by Daily News.

The Vote Is In: Meet Jabari and Azizi from Prospect Park Zoo.

Wordless Wednesday

Help Name The Prospect Park Zoo Baby Baboons

Congratulations to Bole for being the father to two healthy and beautiful babies! Born on July 23rd and July 28th respectively, these two babies are a bundle of joy for mothers Kaia and Rebecca. The last time Prospect Park Zoo had a baboon birth was 6 years ago, a male baboon named Kito to mother Matara and father Simen.

Kaia and Rebecca (both 7 years old) were sent from Bucknell University to breed with Bole, a longtime resident of the hamadryas baboon exhibit at Prospect Park Zoo. For now, the babies are referred to #1 and #2 but that will change come September 24th. Prospect Park Zoo is asking you to submit names for these two fur balls no later than September 21st. Then, on September 24th, the zoo will announce the winning names. To suggest names, please visit Prospect Park Zoo's website here.

Photographs by Julie Larsen Maher ©WCS

Baby hamadryas baboons are born with black fur (pelage). As they mature, their fur changes from black to olive brown. Adult hamadryas baboons are grayish (males) or brownish (females). Hamadryas baboons were once considered sacred by the ancient Egyptians because these baboons were the attendant of the god Thoth.

Personally, the birth announcement was an exciting news because I've come to "know" Bole after spending almost a year observing him at Prospect Park Zoo. The 18 year-old Bole were especially closed to one of his three females, Zula. Together with Zula, Bole can been seen obsessively grooming each other up to the point where both of them had bare patches of skin. That, my friend, is one extreme PDA!

Without a doubt, the introduction of Kaia and Rebecca into Bole's group will change the troop's dynamics but I am very curious to see what the changes are to Bole's group. What will happen with the relationship between Bole and his three original females (Zula, Mekele and Kobo)? My recent observations suggest that Mekele and Kobo had moved from Bole's group into Simen's group. While I probably won't know the exact reasons why they would do so, I'm guessing that these lower ranking females are joining a much more dominant group for better access to food resources (higher ranking members get access to more preferable pieces of fruit, etc.).

Read more about the baby baboon here.

Locating Land of Punt Using Mummified Baboons

Land of Punt, sometimes referred to as Ta-netjer (God's land) by ancient Egyptians was a place where pharaohs organized trading expeditions to. For the ancient Egyptians, Land of Punt is the land of fragrances, giraffes and electrum, among many other exotic items.  Live baboons were among many items brought back from Land of Punt to Egypt. Researchers now think that they know where Land of Punt is, thanks to the mummified baboons found in Thebes and Valley of the Kings.

Mummified baboon, like the one above, was used by researchers to locate the Land of Punt. 

Using the hair of the mummified baboons from both location, researchers ran an oxygen isotope analysis to estimate where these baboons were from (therefore revealing the location of Land of Punt). By comparing the values of oxygen isotope of the mummified baboons to present day baboon populations, all specimens from Eritrea and some from Ethiopia are deemed good matches by the researchers. Thus, Land of Punt is believed to be in Eritrea and the eastern parts of Ethiopia. Yemen, Somalia and Mozambique have been suggested as possible locations but readings of baboons from these locations do not match those of the mummified ones. (Although no baboon samples from Yemen were used, researchers are confident enough to posit that baboons from Yemen would "look an awful lot like a baboon from Somalia isotopically").

Aside from the fact that the researchers failed to obtain baboon samples from Yemen, it's crucial to point out that researchers were able to only identify the origin of the baboon in Valley of the Kings (meaning that the isotope reading from this one sole baboon was used to match up with all the present day baboon isotope reading). The mummified baboon from Thebes have spent some time living as a pet so its oxygen isotope had changed due to ingestion of local diet.

Read more about this discovery on Heritage Key: Baboon Mummy Tests Reveal Ethiopia and Eritrea as Ancient Egyptians' 'Land of Punt'.

The Kipunji Might Have Interbred With Baboons

The kipunji (Rungwecebus kipunji) was first known to science in 2003 when it was found dead in a farmer's trap near the forest of Mount Rungwe in Tanzania. Kipunji is geographically restricted to two small populations, Tanzania's Southern Highlands and Udzungwas Mountains. These endangered forest-dwelling monkeys have a very interesting history in their genetic makeup.

The kipunji. Photo from National Geographic by Tim Davenport.

Using fecal sample from Udzungwas Mountains (the Ndundulu population) and two tissue sample from Southern Highlands population, researchers from the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) were able to reconstruct the genetic relationships between these two populations and the kipunji's closest relative (Roberts et al., 2009). They found that the Ndundulu population retains the true Rungwecebus mitochondrial genome while the Southern Highlands population has a distinct mitochondrial haplotype that are basal to the genus Papio and Rungwecebus. This suggests that the Southern Highlands population is a hybrid and might have interbred with baboons while the Ndundulu population did not. The study also suggests that Rungwecebus is a separate genus and is more closely related to Papio than to Lophocebus, Theropithecus, Cercocebus or Mandrillus.

Census shows that there are about 1,100 individuals left in the wild. Of these, only 100 of them lives in Udzungwas Mountains. Losing the population from Udzungwas Mountains means that we will lose the genetic makeup of a true Rungwecebus.

Read more on National Geographic "Africa's rarest monkey may have bred with baboons".

References:

Davenport, TRB. Stanley, WT. Sargis, EJ. De Luca, DW. Mpunga, NE. Machaga, SJ. Olson, LE. 2006. A New Genus of African Monkey, Rungwecebus: Morphology, Ecology, and Molecular Phylogenetic. Science 312(5778) 1378 - 1381 DOI: 10.1126/science.1125631

Roberts, TE. Davenport, TRB. Hildebrandt, KBP. Jones, J. Stanley, WT. Sargis, EJ. Olson, LE. 2009. The biogeography of introgression in the critically endangered African monkey Rungwecebus kipunji. Biology Letters Retrieved November 12, 2009, from http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2009/10/29/rsbl.2009.0741.abstract?papetoc

Behavioral Synchronization In Chacma Baboons

There is a newly published paper by Andrew J. King and Guy Cowlishaw on factors that promote or constrain group synchronization among Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) in central Namibia. The paper "All together now: behavioural synchrony in baboons" is available online as pdf for free.

 A mother and infant Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus). Flickr photo from Arno & Louise.

Synchronized behavior is defined as behavior performed by individuals in unison. For example, you can say that a group of animals moving through its environment is synchronized in the direction of the movement. Or a group of animals feeding is synchronized in its behavior. Synchronized behavior has its costs and benefits. Group synchronization is costly to achieve, and according to this article, due to age - sex differences, morphological - physiological differences, heterogeneous feeding terrain and visual isolation between group members. The benefit of group synchronization increases foraging benefits and reduces predation risk. A large group who travels together can easily find food or spot predators.

An example of synchronized behavior. A group of baboons traveling in a synchronized direction in Tanzania. Photo from Hole In The Donut Travels.

Interestingly, this research found that the probability of the group to synchronize increases with the number of pregnant females in the group but decreases with the number of sexually swollen females in the group. They think that females that are sexually swollen are not shy about advertising their receptivity to the males in the group. The males, in turn, would zealously guard these sexually swollen females from other males thus disrupting behavioral synchronization. Pregnant females, on the other hand, promotes group synchronization because individuals are not fighting or distracted by mating opportunities.

Read more from the press release, Brazen Baboons: Flighty Females Disrupt Group Harmony.

References:
King, AJ. Cowlishaw, G. 2009. All together now: behavioural synchrony in baboons. Elsevier Retrieved October 31, 2009, from http://static.zsl.org/files/king-cowlishaw-animal-behaviour-2009-910.pdf

PR.com. 2009. Brazen Baboons: Flighty Females Disrupt Group Harmony. Retrieved October 31, 2009, from http://www.pr.com/press-release/188486

When Is A Monkey Really A Monkey?

A little boy pressed his nose on the glass where a Western Lowland Gorilla is interacting with the zoo-goers. He turns around to his parents with a big smile. “Oh look, the monkey wants to kiss you”, said his mother.

At the lemur exhibit, a girl asks her parents what those black and white primates were. Her dad picks her up and said, “It’s a monkey, sweetie … let’s go”.

A pair of gibbons gracefully swings around in their exhibit. Excited, a group of kindergarteners cheered as these gibbons maneuver around its habitat with great agility. “These monkeys are so active”, said the teacher.

If this sounds familiar to you then you are not alone. I spent a great deal of time near primate exhibits mainly because I love to observe their behaviors. I also enjoy watching interaction between humans and primates. However, there are times when I just can’t control myself and felt compelled to walk over to these people and explain to them that the word “monkey” is not a general term for primates (politely, of course). It shocks me that most of the time people do not read the information panel at the exhibit (aren’t zoo trips for educational purposes?). So when is a monkey really a monkey?

Monkey is a colloquial term for any cercopithecoids (Old World monkey) and platyrrhines (New World monkey). Monkeys are not hominoids (apes) or prosimians. One of the most distinctive characteristic that differentiate monkeys and apes is the presence of a tail in monkeys. Gibbons, siamangs, orangutans, gorilla, chimpanzees and bonobos are apes because they do not have a tail.

Gorillas do not have tails, so they are not monkeys but apes.

Differentiating monkeys and prosimians are a little tricky; all prosimians have grooming claws (toilet claws) but it is generally not visible within zoo exhibits. Prosimians include lemurs, lorises, galagos, aye-ayes and tarsiers.

A ring-tailed lemur is a prosimian. Although it has a tail, it also have grooming claws so lemurs are not monkeys.

A hamadryas baboon is technically a monkey because it has a tail but has no grooming claws.

The Barbary Macaque, Macaca sylvanus, was formerly named Barbary Ape due to the absence of a tail (to be more precise, they have a vestigial tail that looks like a stump). However, we know now that it is more closely related to macaques than to apes so its name was changed to correctly reflect what they are.

A Barbary Ape (notice the lack of tail). Flickr photo from Gerald Davison.

This brings us back to the question, “when is a monkey really a monkey’? The most straightforward answer would be “when it has a tail but doesn’t have grooming claws”. However, the most convenient answer usually lies in front of you … on the information panel.

Flickr photo taken by tim ellis at the Twycross Zoo, England.
The sign reads "Who are you calling a monkey?"

Primate Skull Found In Texas, But Which Primate?

A plumber from North Dallas, Texas found a primate skull while working on construction project outside of a school. The skull was found buried about five feet underground. Measuring six inches from front to back and two inches wide, most of its teeth are still intact including two one-inch canines. “We all know it’s a primate,” said David Evans, 25, of Alvarado. “We just don’t know which kind.”



A noted anthropologist for the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office, Dr. Dana Austin, viewed photographs of the skull and said it was definitely an “old-world primate,” possibly a monkey or chimp.

Read the article from NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, It's a Skull, But What Kind?

In an effort to do my professors justice (yes ... Dr. Larissa Swedell and Dr. Sara Stinson), I am going to attempt to identify said skull. But before that ... am I the only one that cringes every time some says "Old World primates"? It's Old World monkeys! Monkeys!

OK ... from the video and pictures, it seems to either be a chimp or a baboon. What differentiate a chimp and a baboon based on dental morphology is that chimps have Y-5 molars pattern while baboons have a bilophodont pattern. Judging from the video, around 0:15 mins. it seems that the upper molars have a bilophodont teeth. The sagittal crest also seem to connect to the brow ridge like an upside down Y. My guess is that this skull belongs to a baboon, a hamadryas baboon to be exact. Because canine size is sexually dimorphic in hamadryas baboon, this skull probably belongs to a male.

What do you think?

Hamadryas Baboons: Who's Who At The Prospect Park Zoo

EDIT: THIS IS NOT AN UP-TO-DATE LIST. SOME INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED OUT OF THE ZOO AND NEW INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN.


The hamadryas baboon troop at the Prospect Park Zoo are divided into two groups. Group #1 consists of 6 members: a one-male unit (OMU) with a female and 4 offspring. Group #2 consists of 4 members: a OMU with three females. Group #1 is dominant over Group #2. It took me a few visits to tell them apart, observing unique features in their face or body helps a lot. Also, these are not their real names given by the zoo. I find it easier to remember them if I name them myself. The baboon's "zoo name" is given in the bracket ( ). 

Group #1

Ben (Simen) is the leader male of Group #1 and also alpha male of the Prospect Park Zoo population. You can tell Ben apart from the other males because he has a mole underneath his left eye.

Mimi (Matara) is Ben's female. She is the mother of Fifi, Fadi, Neji and Ken. She is always near Ben and you can distinguish her from the rest of the females because she has a bigger belly and yellower fur. She is actually a hamadryas and olive baboon hybrid!

Fifi (Binti) is Ben and Mimi's daughter. She has a scar on the middle of her back and she is always seen with Ken and Neji.

Fadi (Moja) is Ben and Mimi's eldest son. He likes to be alone most of the time and can be seen near Neji a lot to groom him or be groomed by him. Fadi is a little bit tubbier than the rest of the males.

Neji (Nyali) is Ben and Mimi's middle son. He is a troublemaker. He has a scar on his lower left cheek. Neji likes to play with Ken and Fadi. Sometimes you can see Neji trying to herd Pam away from Leo.

Ken (Kito) is Ben and Mimi's youngest son. He is very energetic, much like any other child. Ken likes to hang around with Neji and Fifi.




Group #2

Leo (Bole) is the leader male of Group #2. He is lower ranking than Ben. Leo has a fuller and longer mane than Ben and Fadi. He is always seen with or close to Jenn, his favorite female.

Jenn (Zula) is Leo's female. She is higher ranking than Anne and Pam, and she is Leo's favorite. She can be seen with or near Leo most of the time. Due to obsessive grooming by Leo and her old age, she looks rather mangy. This picture was taken when she was on her estrus cycle (sexual swelling).

Anne (Mekele) is Leo's female. She is lower ranking than Jenn but higher ranking than Pam. She's pretty old with raggedy fur.

Pam (Kobo) is Leo's female. She is the lowest ranking of all females. She was easily recognizable by her short tail. She is herded away from Leo by Neji at times but she doesn't seem to mind as she enjoys grooming and getting groomed by Neji.

What Is A Papio?

Prancing what? That is not a misspelled Spanish word, I did not intend for this blog to be named Prancing Papi. So, what really is a Papio?

Papio is a genus; all baboons belong to the genus Papio. Previously, Gelada, Mandrill and Drill were also grouped into the same genus but they now have their own separate genera. Gelada belongs to the genus Theropithecus while Mandrill and Drill belong to the genus Mandrillus. Gelada, Mandrill, and Drill are still colloquially referred to as baboons.

Currently the genus Papio has 5 recognized members. There are disagreements among scientists whether Hamadryas baboons are a separate species while the other four are subspecies or they all represent 5 different species of the same genus. You will see that Hamadryas baboons are listed as either Papio hamadryas or Papio hamadryas hamadryas.

Based on the biological species concept, I consider all 5 members of the genus Papio to be a subspecies of Papio hamadryas because they can reproduce and produce virile offspring hybrids. The closer the range of two baboon species, the higher the frequency of interbreeding is. This zone is sometimes call the hybrid zone. According to the ecological species concept, however, I consider all 5 members of the genus Papio to be 5 different species. So, depending on what your species concept is, there are different ways to classify them. How would you classify them and why?

The 5 Papio species are:

• Chacma Baboon, Papio ursinus (found in southern Africa).
• Guinea Baboon, Papio papio (found in the far western Africa).
• Hamadryas Baboon, Papio hamadryas (found in the Horn of Africa and south-western Arabia).
• Olive Baboon, Papio anubis (found in the north-central African savanna).
• Yellow Baboon, Papio cynocephalus (found in south-central and eastern Africa).

Male Hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas), The Prospect Park Zoo.

Hamadryas (Papio hamadryas) females. The Prospect Park Zoo.


Female Hamadryas and Olive baboon hybrid (Papio hamadryas x Papio anubis) The Prospect Park Zoo.