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Social bonds of female baboons enhance infant survival.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Silk, JB; Alberts, SC; Altmann, J
Published in: Science (New York, N.Y.)
November 2003

Among nonhuman primates, females often form strong bonds with kin and other group members. These relationships are thought to have adaptive value for females, but direct effects of sociality on fitness have never been demonstrated. We present 16 years of behavioral data from a well-studied population of wild baboons, which demonstrate that sociality of adult females is positively associated with infant survival, an important component of variation in female lifetime fitness. The effects of sociality on infant survival are independent of the effects of dominance rank, group membership, and environmental conditions. Our results are consistent with the evidence that social support has beneficial effects on human health and well-being across the life span. For humans and other primates, sociality has adaptive value.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Science (New York, N.Y.)

DOI

EISSN

1095-9203

ISSN

0036-8075

Publication Date

November 2003

Volume

302

Issue

5648

Start / End Page

1231 / 1234

Related Subject Headings

  • Survival Rate
  • Social Support
  • Social Dominance
  • Social Behavior
  • Reproduction
  • Papio
  • Kenya
  • Hierarchy, Social
  • Grooming
  • General Science & Technology
 

Citation

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Silk, J. B., Alberts, S. C., & Altmann, J. (2003). Social bonds of female baboons enhance infant survival. Science (New York, N.Y.), 302(5648), 1231–1234. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1088580
Silk, Joan B., Susan C. Alberts, and Jeanne Altmann. “Social bonds of female baboons enhance infant survival.Science (New York, N.Y.) 302, no. 5648 (November 2003): 1231–34. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1088580.
Silk JB, Alberts SC, Altmann J. Social bonds of female baboons enhance infant survival. Science (New York, NY). 2003 Nov;302(5648):1231–4.
Silk, Joan B., et al. “Social bonds of female baboons enhance infant survival.Science (New York, N.Y.), vol. 302, no. 5648, Nov. 2003, pp. 1231–34. Epmc, doi:10.1126/science.1088580.
Silk JB, Alberts SC, Altmann J. Social bonds of female baboons enhance infant survival. Science (New York, NY). 2003 Nov;302(5648):1231–1234.
Journal cover image

Published In

Science (New York, N.Y.)

DOI

EISSN

1095-9203

ISSN

0036-8075

Publication Date

November 2003

Volume

302

Issue

5648

Start / End Page

1231 / 1234

Related Subject Headings

  • Survival Rate
  • Social Support
  • Social Dominance
  • Social Behavior
  • Reproduction
  • Papio
  • Kenya
  • Hierarchy, Social
  • Grooming
  • General Science & Technology