Paternal Care in Baboons: Stronger Father-Daughter Relationships Linked to Longer Lifespan for Females

In a recent study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana have discovered that the involvement of male baboons in raising their young can have a significant impact on the survival of their daughters as adults. The study suggests that even a little effort from fathers can go a long way, with female baboons who experience a stronger relationship with their fathers when young tending to live longer as adults. The researchers studied wild baboons in Kenya, focusing on 216 females fathered by 102 males, as confirmed by genetic data. They looked at the frequency of grooming interactions between fathers and daughters during the first four years of the females' lives, as well as recording the total number of days fathers and daughters lived in the same group over that period. They then tracked how long the daughters lived as adults. The study found that female baboons who lived in the same group as their fathers for longer and spent more time grooming with them during their first four years of life lived two to four years longer as adults than those who experienced weaker relationships with their dads. If only one of these two factors occurred, an increase of about two to three years was found. A typical lifespan for a female baboon, if she reaches adulthood, is 18 years. So living two to three years longer would allow her time potentially to have another kid, said Prof Elizabeth Archie, co-author of the research. This might provide an incentive for fathers, given that males are less able to fight others for mates as they get older. "They can no longer compete for females, but what they can do is help their daughters," said Archie. "And if their daughters live a little bit longer, then the fathers will pass on more genes and have higher fitness because their daughters are living longer and having more kids." While it is not yet clear why the strength of early-life relationships between daughters and fathers might affect females' survival as adults, Archie suggested several mechanisms could be at play. For instance, fathers may step in if their daughters get into fights or create a "zone of safety" around them through sheer intimidation, making them less likely to have food stolen or be injured or harassed – helping them grow into healthier adults. However, there is another possibility: "Maybe it is just that healthy daughters have good relationships with their fathers, and they also live longer," said Archie. In conclusion, the study suggests that even in species where dads contribute relatively little to raising offspring, like baboons, their involvement may still have a significant impact on the survival of their daughters as adults. This finding highlights the importance of paternal care and the potential benefits it can bring to both parents and offspring in various species.