Social behaviour and communication of free-ranging Guinea baboons (Papio papio)

狒狒(Papio spp.)构成了理解灵长类社会制度进化的最重要的模型之一。巴布亚的起源被认为是在南部非洲。在更新世期间，该属的成员散布在撒哈拉以南非洲大部分地区的无狒狒地区。几内亚狒狒构成了西部，而哈马德里亚狒狒则是狒狒扩散的东端。与已被广泛研究的社会和声音行为的其他狒狒物种不同，几内亚狒狒的社会制度和声音交流知之甚少。根据有关狒狒扩散动力学的理论模型--即所谓的前沿假说--预计几内亚狒狒仍留在初生组(雄性交配，也在Hamadryas Baboons中发现)，表现出频繁的雄性从属关系和低程度的雄-雄竞争，以及低交配和生殖倾斜。与之相对应的是，在南部非洲的查克玛狒狒中发现的雄性表演性打斗，包括大声叫喊，应该是罕见的或没有的。在这个明显流动的裂变-聚变社会中，声音信号应该主要用于协调从属互动和群体运动。为了验证这些预测，应该收集塞内加尔Niokolo Koba国家公园里野生几内亚狒狒的行为数据和声音记录。这项研究将为长期调查复杂的多层社会中生活的社会认知基础奠定基础，并为更广泛的比较研究狒狒声音交流的多样性提供数据。

Baboons (Papio spp.) constitute one of the most important models for understanding the evolution of primate social systems. The origin of baboons is thought to be in southern Africa. During the Pleistocene members of the genus dispersed in baboon-free areas of large parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Guinea baboons constitute the western and hamadryas baboons the eastern extreme of the baboon dispersion. In contrast to other baboon species whose social and vocal behaviour has been extensively studied, the social system and vocal communication of Guinea baboons is only poorly understood. According to theoretical models regarding the dynamics of baboon dispersal – the so-called frontier hypothesis – it is expected that Guinea baboon males remain in the natal group (male philopatry, as also found in hamadryas baboons), reveal frequent male affiliation and low degrees of male-male competition, as well as low mating and reproductive skew. Correspondingly, male display fights involving loud calls, as found in southern African chacma baboons, should be rare or absent. Vocal signals should mainly be used to coordinate affiliative interactions and group movements in this apparently fluid fission-fusion society. To test these predictions, behavioural data and acoustic recordings shall be collected from wild Guinea baboons ranging in the Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal. This study shall lay the ground for a long-term investigation of the socio-cognitive underpinnings of life in a complex multi-layered society, and contribute data to a broader comparative study of the diversity of baboon vocal communication.