Baboon Rank and Paternity

稀树草原狒狒是生活在撒哈拉以南非洲热带雨林之外的一个近亲种群。科学家们不同意它们是由一个还是几个物种组成的，因为尽管它们在形态上非常相似，但种群在社会特征上却有很大差异。因此，对于分析灵长类社会组织及其与人类的关系，热带草原狒狒是极好的研究对象。为了了解这样一个群体中个体之间的社会关系，有必要知道每个婴儿的父母是谁。以前的研究因为只知道每个婴儿的母亲是谁而受到阻碍。首席研究员之前对该种群的长期实地观察已经了解了所有个体的行为。母性是已知的，但基于行为观察的父亲只是假设。在这项研究中，基因研究（亲子鉴定）也将确定每个婴儿的父亲是谁。这些基因研究将检验这样一种假设，即这种行为父亲（基于对动物的观察）也是基因父亲。作为这项研究的结果，它将有可能测试各种行为问题，如：近亲繁殖和乱伦是否发生；父亲的确定性是否与防止杀婴行为有关；而且，男性是否能获得阿尔法地位与他父亲的地位有关。

Savanna baboons represent a group of closely related populations living across subsaharan Africa outside the tropical rain forest. Scientists do not agree whether they comprise one or several species because, although they are very similar morphologically, populations differ significantly in social characteristics. For the analysis of primate social organization and its relationship to humans, savanna baboons are thus excellent subjects. In order to understand the social relationships among individuals in such a population, it is necessary to know who are the parents of individual infants. Previous studies have been hampered by knowing only who is the mother each infant. Previous long-term field observations of this population by the Principal Investigator have resulted in knowing all individuals behaviorally. Maternity is known, but paternity--based on behavioral observations--is only assumed. In this study genetic studies (paternity tests) will also determine who the father is of each infant. These genetic studies will test the hypothesis that such behavioral father (based on observations of the animals) is also the genetic father. As a result of this study it will be possible to test a variety of behavioral questions such as: whether inbreeding and incest occur; whether paternal certainty is related to protection from infanticide; and, whether male access to alpha status is related to the status of his father.