Pressed for Time: Foraging and Social Strategies of Chacma Baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus) in a Seasonal and Anthropogenic Habitat in South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorBartlett, Thad Q.
dc.contributor.authorEllwanger, Nicholas
dc.contributor.committeeMemberHard, Robert J.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberCampos, Fernando
dc.contributor.committeeMemberSwedell, Larissa
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-09T20:49:03Z
dc.date.available2024-02-09T20:49:03Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.descriptionThis item is available only to currently enrolled UTSA students, faculty or staff. To download, navigate to Log In in the top right-hand corner of this screen, then select Log in with my UTSA ID.
dc.description.abstractIn this dissertation, I measure how time and resource utilization shape patterns of activity, foraging, and grooming in chacma baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus) in a temperate anthropogenic habitat. I collected data on activity, feeding behavior, and grooming in a group of baboons in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley (HAV), South Africa across 11 months. HAV is a mosaic habitat comprised of endemic fynbos, agricultural fruit, invasive trees, and pasture. Analysis of focal observation data demonstrate that during short winter days, baboons rested and groomed less; however, feeding time remained stable across the year. Baboons spent more time feeding overall when they increased feeding effort on seeds from invasive trees, which provided high biomass per feeding bout and were associated with low food patch search time. However, invasive tree seeds were associated with low measures of feeding efficiency. Thus, baboons' foraging strategy reduced search costs and prioritized total biomass intake but required high levels of feeding effort. High feeding effort led to decreases in time available for grooming during the winter, which in turn constrained female grooming relationships. During winter, adult females reduced the frequency of grooming bouts and the number of grooming partners. As a result, the density of the female grooming network decreased by half. However, grooming bout length and the strength of grooming bonds were similar between seasons, suggesting female baboons prioritized grooming bond quality over quantity under these conditions. I discuss how these results fit within theoretical models of primate behavior and how they can improve primate conservation and management.
dc.description.departmentAnthropology
dc.format.extent203 pages
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.isbn9798557050012
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12588/3328
dc.languageen
dc.subjectAnthropogenic Habitat Change
dc.subjectBaboon
dc.subjectForaging
dc.subjectPrimate
dc.subjectSocial Network Analysis
dc.subjectTime Allocation
dc.subject.classificationPhysical anthropology
dc.subject.classificationZoology
dc.subject.classificationBehavioral sciences
dc.titlePressed for Time: Foraging and Social Strategies of Chacma Baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus) in a Seasonal and Anthropogenic Habitat in South Africa
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.dcmiText
dcterms.accessRightspq_closed
thesis.degree.departmentAnthropology
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Texas at San Antonio
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy

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