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Infant mortality after takeovers in wild Ethiopian Hamadryas Baboons
Author(s) -
Swedell Larissa,
Tesfaye Teklu
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
american journal of primatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.988
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1098-2345
pISSN - 0275-2565
DOI - 10.1002/ajp.10096
Subject(s) - aggression , sexual selection , biology , demography , zoology , psychology , developmental psychology , sociology
In this work we report the first observational evidence of infanticide in wild hamadryas baboons. The study group inhabits the lowlands of the northern Rift Valley in Ethiopia and has been under observation for over 1,200 hr, on and off, since October 1996. Here we report observations from August and September 2002 of the consequences of two takeovers of known females with black infants. After the first takeover, the respective infant disappeared and was presumed dead within 11 days of the takeover. After the second takeover, the infant incurred repeated severe aggression from its mother's new leader male and eventually died 4 days after the takeover. We interpret these findings as support for the sexual selection hypothesis regarding male infanticide. We suggest that hamadryas leader males usually protect infants born into their units, but may withhold this protection–or even directly attack and kill infants–after takeovers. Am. J. Primatol. 60:113–118, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.