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Baboon

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Mammals

                   iBaboons
   Olive Baboon (Papio anubis)
   Olive Baboon (Papio anubis)
          Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Mammalia
   Order:   Primates
   Family:  Cercopithecidae
   Genus:   Papio
            Erxleben, 1777

                                Type Species

   Simia hamadryas
   Linnaeus, 1758

                                   Species

   Papio hamadryas
   Papio papio
   Papio anubis
   Papio cynocephalus
   Papio ursinus

   The baboons are some of the largest non- hominid members of the primate
   order; only the Mandrill and the Drill are larger. In modern scientific
   use, only members of the genus Papio are called baboons, but previously
   the closely related Gelada (genus Theropithecus) and two species of
   Mandrill and Drill (genus Mandrillus) were grouped in the same genus,
   and these monkeys are still often referred to as baboons in everyday
   speech. The word "baboon" comes from "babouin", the name given to them
   by the French naturalist Buffon. Papio belongs to family
   Cercopithecidae, in subfamily Cercopithecinae.

Physiology

   All baboons have long dog-like muzzles (cynocephalus = dog-head),
   close-set eyes, heavy powerful jaws, thick fur except on their muzzle,
   a short tail and rough spots on their protruding hindquarters, called
   ischial callosities. These callouses are nerveless, hairless pads of
   skin which provide for the sitting comfort of the baboon (and other Old
   World monkeys). Males of the Hamadryas Baboon species also have a large
   white mane.

   There is considerable variation in size and weight depending on
   species, the Chacma Baboon can be 120 cm (47 inches) and weigh 40 kg
   (90 lb) while the biggest Guinea Baboon is 50 cm (20 inches) and weighs
   only 14 kg (30 lb).

   In all baboon species there is pronounced sexual dimorphism, usually in
   size but also sometimes in colour or canine development.

   Baboons are terrestrial (ground dwelling) and are found in savanna,
   open woodland and hills across Africa. Their diet is omnivorous, but is
   usually vegetarian. They are foragers and are active at irregular times
   throughout the day and night. They can raid human dwellings and in
   South Africa they have been known to prey on sheep and goats.

   Their principal predators are man and the leopard, although they are
   tough prey for a leopard and large males will often confront them.

   Baboons in captivity have been known to live up to 45 years, while in
   the wild their life expectancy is about 30 years.

Society

   Baboon with its mother. Lake Manayara National Park, Tanzania
   Enlarge
   Baboon with its mother. Lake Manayara National Park, Tanzania
   Baboon with its young. Lake Manayara National Park, Tanzania
   Enlarge
   Baboon with its young. Lake Manayara National Park, Tanzania
   A baboon troop.
   Enlarge
   A baboon troop.

   Most baboons live in hierarchical troops of 5 to 250 animals (50 or so
   is common), depending on specific circumstances, especially species and
   time of year. The structure within the troop varies considerably
   between Hamadryas Baboons and the remaining species, sometimes
   collectively referred to as savannah baboons. The Hamadryas Baboon has
   very large groups comprised of many smaller harems (one male with four
   or so females), to which females from elsewhere in the troop are
   recruited while still too young to breed. The other baboon species have
   a more promiscuous structure with a strict dominance hierarchy based on
   the female matriline. The Hamadryas Baboon group will typically include
   a younger male, but he will not attempt to mate with the females unless
   the older male is removed.

   Baboons can determine from vocal exchanges what the dominance relations
   between individuals are. When a confrontation occurs between different
   families or where a lower-ranking baboon takes the offensive, baboons
   show more interest in the exchange than exchanges between members of
   the same family or when a higher-ranking baboon takes the offensive.
   This is because confrontations between different families or rank
   challenges can have a wider impact on the whole troop than an internal
   conflict in a family or a baboon reinforcing its dominance.

   The collective noun for baboons is commonly troop or congress, although
   flange is also becoming common. This unusual term originates from a Not
   the Nine O'Clock News comedy sketch entitled "Gerald The Intelligent
   Gorilla" where it was used for comic effect.

Mating and birth

   Baboon mating behaviour varies greatly depending on the social
   structure. In the mixed groups of savannah baboons, each male can mate
   with any female. The allowed mating order among the males depends
   partially on the ranking, and fights between males are not unusual.

   There are however more subtle possibilities; males sometimes try to win
   the friendship of females. To garner this friendship, they may help
   groom the female, help care for her young, or supply them with food.
   Some females clearly prefer such friendly males as mates.

   A female initiates mating by presenting her swollen rump to the male.
   But 'presenting' can also be used as a submissive gesture and is
   observed in males as well.

   In the harems of the Hamadryas Baboon, the males jealously guard their
   females, to the point of grabbing and biting the females when they
   wander too far away. Despite this, some males will raid harems for
   females. In such situations it often comes to aggressive fights by the
   males. Some males succeed in taking a female from another's harem. This
   is called a 'takeover'.

   Females typically give birth every other year, usually to a single
   infant, after a six month gestation. The young baboon weighs
   approximately one kilogram and is colored black. The females tend to be
   the primary caretaker of the young, although several females will share
   the duties for all of their offspring.

   In mixed groups males sometimes help in caring for the young of the
   females they are friendly with, for instance they gather food for them
   and play with them. The probability is high that those young are their
   offspring. After about one year, the young animals are weaned. They
   reach sexual maturity in five to eight years.

   In baboons males leave their birth group, usually before they reach
   sexual maturity, whereas females are 'philopatric' and stay in the same
   group their whole life.

Cultural importance

   The Hamadryas Baboon was a sacred animal to the ancient Egyptians as
   the attendant of Thoth, and so, is also called the Sacred Baboon. The
   English word Baboon is thought to derive from the name of the Egyptian
   baboon-god Babi.

Classification

   There are five recognised species of Papio, although there is some
   disagreement about whether they are really full species or subspecies.
   They are P. ursinus ( Chacma Baboon, found in southern Africa), P.
   papio (Western or Guinea Baboon, found in Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea),
   P. hamadryas ( Hamadryas Baboon, found in north-east Africa and into
   south-western Arabia), P. anubis ( Olive Baboon, found in central
   African savanna) and P. cynocephalus ( Yellow Baboon, found in Angola,
   Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia). Many authors distinguish P.
   hamadryas as a full species, but regard all the others as subspecies of
   P. cynocephalus and refer to them collectively as "savanna baboons".
   This may not be helpful: while behaviorally and physically distinct
   from other baboon types, the Hamadryas baboon is known to hybridize
   with olive baboons, and recent phylogenetic studies of Papio show
   Hamadryas baboons to be more closely related to guinea and olive
   baboons than to chacmas.

   The traditional 5-form classification probably under-represents the
   variation within Papio. Some commentators would argue that at least two
   more forms should be recognized, including the very small Kinda Baboon
   (P. kindae) from Zambia, the DRC, and Angola, and the Gray-footed
   Baboon (P. griseipes) found in Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique,
   and northern South Africa. However, current knowledge of the
   morphological, genetic, and behavioural diversity within Papio is too
   poor to make any final, comprehensive judgments on baboon taxonomy.

Species list

   Genus Papio
     * Sacred or Hamadryas Baboon, Papio hamadryas
     * Guinea Baboon, Papio papio
     * Olive Baboon, Papio anubis
     * Yellow Baboon, Papio cynocephalus
     * Chacma Baboon, Papio ursinus

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baboon"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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