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系统进化的最重要模型之一。狒狒的起源被认为是在非洲南部。在更新世期间，该属的成员分散在撒哈拉以南非洲大部分地区的无狒狒地区。几内亚狒狒构成了狒狒分布的最西部，而hamadryas狒狒构成了狒狒分布的最东部。与其他狒狒物种的社会和声音行为已被广泛研究相比，几内亚狒狒的社会系统和声音交流仅知之甚少。根据狒狒扩散动力学的理论模型-所谓的前沿假说-预期几内亚狒狒雄性会留在纳塔尔群体中（雄性恋物癖，也见于hamadryas狒狒），显示出频繁的雄性联系和低程度的雄性间竞争，以及低交配和生殖偏斜。相应地，在南部非洲的查克玛狒狒中，雄性狒狒会大声鸣叫，这样的打斗应该是罕见的或不存在的。在这个显然是流动的裂变-融合社会中，声音信号应该主要用于协调从属的相互作用和群体运动。为了测试这些预测，行为数据和声音记录应收集野生几内亚狒狒在塞内加尔的Niokolo科巴国家公园。这项研究将奠定基础的长期调查的社会认知基础的生活在一个复杂的多层次的社会，并有助于数据的狒狒语音通信的多样性进行更广泛的比较研究。

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.