Anna Weyher has scheduled her Doctoral defense for thursday October 5, 2023 at 10:30am
Title: Behavior and Ecology of the Kinda Baboon
Chair: Jason Kamilar

Zoom: https://umass-amherst.zoom.us/j/92550314908?pwd=YmlxMjc3MGliWldHN3ZyNVZFdGE3UT09

Abstract: The Kinda baboon (Papio kindae) has recently emerged as a distinct member of the baboon clade and the sixth widely recognized baboon species. Early observations of Kinda baboons suggested a distinct social system characterized by adult relationships that diverge from those in other savannah-living baboon species. In this dissertation, I present results from the Kasanka Baboon Project, which I founded to study the behavior and natural history of Kinda baboons living in Kasanka National Park, Zambia. I draw on nearly a decade of long-term data to explore aspects of Kinda baboon behavioral ecology, with a particular focus on the form and function of strong adult social relationships within and between sexes. Together, my findings underscore the unique biology of the Kinda baboon and set the stage for future comparative studies to understand their peculiar social phenotype.