In a world often characterized by aggressive male behavior, a unique species of baboon is turning heads in the scientific community by showing that being nice might be an evolutionary advantage. A groundbreaking nine-year study conducted in Zambia’s Kasanka National Park has revealed that male Kinda baboons build lasting friendships with females through grooming and gentle interactions, challenging traditional views of primate social behavior.
The research, published in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology on January 21, 2025, documents how these smallest members of the baboon family develop social bonds that transcend mere mating opportunities. Unlike their more aggressive cousins, male Kinda baboons invest significant time in maintaining multiple long-term friendships with females, displaying levels of social sophistication previously unseen in other baboon species.
“In some ways it’s not surprising that, behaviorally, Kindas are so different because, anatomically, they look a lot different than other baboons,” says Jason Kamilar, professor of anthropology at UMass Amherst and study co-author. “Kindas are the smallest baboons and they’re also the least sexually dimorphic, so the difference in body size between males and females is the smallest — making them the best baboon species [for us] to understand humans.”
A Different Kind of Male Strategy
The study reveals that male Kinda baboons initiate most social interactions and maintain proximity with females, often engaging in grooming behaviors that persist across years. This stands in stark contrast to other baboon species, where male attention typically focuses on females only during fertile periods.
What makes these findings particularly intriguing is the males’ investment in these relationships even when females aren’t fertile. The research team found that males maintain strong bonds with multiple female friends simultaneously, while females typically form a strong bond with just one male at a time.
Evolution’s Gentle Turn
Perhaps most surprising is the notably low level of aggression among male Kindas. While other baboon species frequently engage in dramatic dominance struggles, Kinda males show minimal aggressive behavior toward both females and other males.
This gentler approach appears to be working. The long-term study shows that these friendships often last for years, with males succeeding through what researchers describe as a “long-game” strategy of social bonding rather than physical competition.
Implications for Understanding Evolution
The research suggests that Kinda baboons might represent an ancestral form of primate social behavior, offering new insights into the evolution of social relationships. Their unique mix of traits – combining strong female-female bonds typical of some baboon species with male-initiated friendships seen in others – creates what researchers call a “mosaic” of social features.
The study, supported by various institutions including The Fulbright Program and the Leakey Foundation, opens new avenues for understanding how social behaviors evolve and challenges assumptions about male-female relationships in primate societies. It suggests that success in evolution isn’t always about being the strongest or most aggressive – sometimes, it’s about being the kindest.