The physical, behavioral and ecological diversity of baboons (genus Papio) makes them a fruitful source as analogies for understanding early human evolution. This project investigates a widespread but little known species, the kinda baboon (P. kindae), and probes the physiological and genetic bases of its distinctive behaviors and physical features. Besides being unusually small and juvenile in appearance, kinda baboons appear less sexually differentiated than other baboons. Behaving like females of other species, adult male kindas frequently initiate long grooming sessions, while females often give alarm barks, which is normally a male baboon activity. Unexpectedly, kinda baboons hybridize with neighboring chacma baboons (P. ursinus) which are almost twice their size, and are behaviorally more typical. This research project traces the causes of these species differences from the level of observable behavior and anatomy, through the level of development and hormonal control, to the level of the genome. Over 200 kinda, hybrid, and chacma baboons are trapped, sampled, and released unharmed in Kafue National Park, Zambia. Basic biological data such as weight and body measurements are collected along with blood samples. Specialist labs investigate these blood samples for the hormones and other biologically active components that influence growth, sexual differentiation, and behavior, and produce a high-resolution map of the kinda genome. Physiological differences that consistently distinguish kindas can then be tracked to the genetic level, by comparing fast-evolving candidate regions in kindas with homologous regions in other baboon species.
The project is innovative in combining proven, comparatively low-tech field techniques with cutting edge technology in genomics and hormonal physiology. Most immediately, it fills a major gap in our knowledge of a key primate genus. In the long term, it provides insights into behavioral variation and evolution in other species, including humans. In the wider sphere, the project will train graduate students, further scientific collaboration with Zambian Wildlife authorities, and promote the status of baboons in wildlife tourism.
This grant was a proposed project with multiple goals of which I was involved in the goal of examining prolactin levels in three different species of baboons: Papio anubis, P. hamadryas and P. kindae, to correlate with paternal behavior. Blood samples from the different species in three different countries in Africa indicated that prolactin increased with age in males where mature males had higher levels than immature males. Additionally, prolactin levels were higher in the species that form harems, i.e. P. hamadryas, during the age when males are assuming mother-like function in carrying and caring for an infant as a first stage toward their future harem formation. These males attempt to impress the females who thay want in their harem. The adult male Kinda baboons, P. Kindae, are known to be more maternal-like than any of the other species of baboons. These male Kinda baboons had elevated prolactin when males were showing high levels of grooming females. Prolactin has been shown in other primates to be involved in contact between two individuals. These results suggest that males that exhibit contact like behaviors are reflected in elevated levels of prolactin. Therefore, the more social, infant and female directed males may benefit by having an elevated prolactin response.
