However, as competition for his affection grew, so did fights amongst the females, which increased by a factor of four. These fights occurred over the course of the day, not just when the food box was presented. Thus, it appears that the increase in grooming and fights is not just to get more food as and when it came, but to establish a top position with Kevin and then, as a result of that position, gain better access to the food he controls.
This competition seems to have been necessary because, in contrast, Kevin’s male friends did not change their behaviour towards him yet still reaped the rewards. With males eating comfortably from food that the females were fighting over suggests a highly male-dominated hierarchy.
Guinea baboons live in nested ‘units,’ consisting of one reproductive male with one to several females and their young. So, despite an increase in competition between the females in Kevin’s ‘unit’, he – unexpectedly – did not gain any new grooming partners.
Even more interesting is that within two weeks after the food box was taken away, Kevin’s level of grooming and the fighting among the females returned back to normal. This hints that they realised he could no longer forage as expertly as before and thus had less social value. In short, they attributed him with utility, not competence.
The scientists have not stated what further research will be done, but it is hoped the experiment will be repeated with different Guinea baboons to see if the results are replicable. Moreover, true insights into the behaviour of our primate cousins might be attained if a future experiment were to give exclusive food box access to a female baboon and observe how the males behave. Perhaps their understanding of gender balance will surprise us, perhaps not. There is only one way to find out.