Male–male social bonding, coalitionary support and reproductive success in wild Guinea baboons

In wild Guinea baboons, male-male social bonding does not directly translate to reproductive success. Contrary to expectations, males that spent less time socializing with other males were associated with more females and sired more offspring, while strongly bonded males provided coalitionary support during conflicts but did not gain reproductive advantages. This suggests a nuanced relationship between social investment and reproduction, where males adjust their social behavior based on life-history stages. The study analyzed behavioral and paternity data from 30 males over four years in Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal, highlighting the complexity of male-male bonding dynamics in this tolerant multi-level society.

Dal Pesco, F., Trede, F., Zinner, D., & Fischer, J. (2022). Male–male social bonding, coalitionary support and reproductive success in wild Guinea baboons. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 289(1975). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.0347