Correlates of agonistic and competitive interactions in pregnant baboons
1Department of Anthropology, University of California at Los Angeles, and California Primate Research Center, University of California at Davis.
Abstract:
Maternal condition during pregnancy is known to influence fetal viability. Recently, primatologists have suggested that certain characteristics of the fetus may influence maternal condition as well. For example, among captive pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) mothers of female infants may be at greater risk of injury during their pregnancies than mothers of male infants. Analysis of the rates of aggression, submission, competition, and wounding among free-ranging pregnant baboons (Papio cynocephalus) in Amboseli National Park generally fail to support these findings, but several other factors such as maternal dominance rank, environmental conditions during pregnancy, maternal parity, and fetal age correlate with aggression, submission, competition, and injuries sustained by pregnant female baboons.
Related Concept Videos
Aggression
Relationship Formation
Parental Care
Predator-Prey Interactions
Evolutionary Psychology
Secondary Motives: Affiliation Motivation and Aggression Motivation


