Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Synteny and Evolution02:31

Synteny and Evolution

John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral chromosome underwent...
Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the human psyche...
Limits to Natural Selection01:38

Limits to Natural Selection

Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.
What is a Species?01:17

What is a Species?

Overview
Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective01:23

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective

In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
Gene Duplication and Divergence02:37

Gene Duplication and Divergence

The seminal work of Ohno in 1970 popularized the idea of gene duplication and divergence. DNA sequence comparison studies reveal that a large portion of the genes in bacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes was  generated by gene duplication and divergence, indicating its critical role in evolution.
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are characterized.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Social patterns underlying a new group formation in olive baboons.

PloS one·2025
Same author

Confessions of a baboon watcher: from inside to outside the paradigm.

Primates; journal of primatology·2023
Same author

Early life adversity has long-term effects on sociality and interaction style in female baboons.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2022
Same author

The long lives of primates and the 'invariant rate of ageing' hypothesis.

Nature communications·2021
Same author

Corrigendum: A Severe Lack of Evidence Limits Effective Conservation of the World's Primates.

Bioscience·2021
Same author

A Severe Lack of Evidence Limits Effective Conservation of the World's Primates.

Bioscience·2020

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space
09:09

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space

Published on: July 16, 2009

Darwin's monkey: why baboons can't become human.

Shirley C Strum1

  • 1Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0532, USA. sstrum@africaonline.co.ke

American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|October 19, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Forty years of baboon research in Kenya suggests they are key to understanding human evolution by resetting evolutionary starting conditions. This study critiques natural selection, highlighting collaboration, chance, and history in baboon survival.

More Related Videos

Behavioral Assessment of Manual Dexterity in Non-Human Primates
16:00

Behavioral Assessment of Manual Dexterity in Non-Human Primates

Published on: November 11, 2011

Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device (ALDM) Test Systems
08:42

Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device (ALDM) Test Systems

Published on: May 5, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 17, 2026

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space
09:09

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space

Published on: July 16, 2009

Behavioral Assessment of Manual Dexterity in Non-Human Primates
16:00

Behavioral Assessment of Manual Dexterity in Non-Human Primates

Published on: November 11, 2011

Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device (ALDM) Test Systems
08:42

Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device (ALDM) Test Systems

Published on: May 5, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Primatology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Behavioral Ecology

Background:

  • Baboons have historically served as models for human evolution.
  • Long-term ecological and behavioral data are crucial for understanding evolutionary processes.
  • Current models of natural selection may not fully capture real-world complexities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To re-evaluate the relevance of baboons for understanding human evolution.
  • To critique prevailing ideas about the mechanisms of natural selection.
  • To explore the interplay of competition, collaboration, chance, and history in primate adaptation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing 40 years of longitudinal data from a baboon study in Kenya.
  • Focusing on evolutionary processes and outcomes over extended time scales.
  • Employing comparative natural history, Darwin's original method, to analyze complexity.

Main Results:

  • Baboon social dynamics reveal principles of cooperation, cognition, and culture.
  • Findings challenge deterministic views of natural selection, emphasizing adaptability and "good enough" solutions.
  • Data illustrate the impact of historical events, such as group fission and fusion, on adaptation.

Conclusions:

  • Baboons offer a unique perspective for resetting the conditions of the "human experiment."
  • Natural selection is a more nuanced process than often portrayed, allowing for tolerance and multiple adaptive pathways.
  • Long-term field studies integrating quantitative and natural history observations are vital for capturing behavioral complexity.