Female transfer in baboons

Abstract

Eight of 19 identified adult females transferred over 7 years in a study of intertroop relations among Papio ursinus at Suikerbosrand. Only one of the eight was cycling at the time of transfer. Five of the seven recent mothers who transferred had lost their infants shortly before transferring. Females who transferred received no more aggression before or after their transfer than females who did not transfer. The most important factors determining this extraordinarily high rate of female transfer include subtrooping and absence of predation.