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The social development of baboons in their first three months
Author(s) -
Rowell T. E.,
Din NasarA.,
Omar Ali
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1968.tb03063.x
Subject(s) - biology , demography , developmental psychology , psychology , sociology
The development of the mother‐infant relationship is expressed in terms of the change in typical relative positions of the pair and in the pattern of contacting and leaving they showed. Rainy periods increased the time the infant spent asleep with its mother, the effect being more than that produced by the infant's age on sleeping time in the first three months of life. Rate of development of mother‐infant relationships was compared with that of Rhesus monkeys in similar conditions, and found to be very closely comparable. Interactions by infants with other baboons were found to be quantitatively and qualitatively different for each available demographic class (though some classes were only represented by a single individual). Results illustrated different rates of social maturing in the sexes, differential behaviour of the adult male towards the sexes of infants, and the existence of a special relationship between siblings. Interactions of neoparturient mothers with other adults are characterized by high overall frequency, with a high frequency of avoiding of friendly approaches by the mother. Both these have returned to normal frequency levels in the third month. Restriction of infants by mothers was seen only in the caged group. Its immediate effects on the behaviour of the infant and its association with other maternal social behaviour are described.