Doctoral Dissertation Research: Maternal predictors of infant developmental trajectories in olive baboons

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Early life experiences can have substantial influence on development and adult outcomes, and the mother is a crucial component of the early life environment for humans and other primates. Recently, researchers have begun to examine the complexities of maternal signals, how infants use these signals to navigate developmental trade-offs, and the impact of trade-off decisions. This doctoral dissertation project will investigate the influence of maternal hormonal and behavioral signals on infant development in several groups of wild olive baboons living under different ecological conditions. The researcher will document variation in maternal signals, to develop a comprehensive model of infant development and provide insights into the evolution of human health and development. The project contributes to local community outreach programs and provides mentorship and research opportunities to undergraduate students, recent graduates, and local employees. The research team promotes diversity and inclusion in STEM through active involvement with professional organizations for marginalized identities and through workshops that address issues of sexual harassment in STEM.The project will address three questions: What predicts variation in maternal signals, how do infants respond to maternal signals, and how do infants navigate developmental trade-offs? The study will capitalize on long-term ecological and demographic data for olive baboons and provide detailed behavioral, physiological, and growth data. The study will use photogrammetry to measure body size and growth trajectories, fecal samples to measure glucocorticoid levels in mothers and infants, and focal samples to obtain detailed information about nursing behavior, infant activity levels, and maternal responsiveness. The study will examine 40 mother-infant pairs over a 14-month period. The study site in Laikipia, Kenya provides the opportunity to compare animals that rely heavily on invasive Opuntia stricta fruits with animals that have limited access to these fruits. Variation in the availability of Opuntia fruit will provide insight into how high-sugar diets and predictable food availability -- traits that characterize recent changes in human diet -- influence maternal signals and infant responses. These results could potentially inform medical intervention practices that target infant health by indicating when interventions will be most effective and how long interventions are needed.