Summary Of Primate's Memoir By Robert Sapolsky

In the book A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist’s Unconventional Life Among Baboons the author Robert Sapolsky describes many differences within a baboon troop he decided to observe for more than twenty years. There are many differences he describes for example the differences of sex and the age difference between them. In his work Sapolsky uses names for some of the baboons and describes the relationship between them. The names he used were based on Old Testament Figures. Sapolsky states that baboons live in big groups and their members work very hard to feed themselves. The troops also work very hard to survive and protect one another. There are larger and smaller troops. The size of the baboon troop is determined by the amount of resources

Male baboons have to work for their own reputation. Male baboons also have to have fighting skills in order to protect their troop. Male baboons have to earn their title of leader. Becoming a leader in a baboon trop is a hard position to earn. Leaders have to lead their troop for food or be mating with many baboon females. Sapolsky also stated that every member of the group was terrified by a single glance of the alpha male. Once an alpha shows a strong personality he will more likely be the new leader of the group. Like Solomon the first alpha that Sapolsky observed and led the tribe until another alpha came and took over. Solomon was a ferocious and canny fighter, however, with the time flow and obsolescence these features have gone and he lost his tribe. Solomon had his troop taken over by

Female baboons also had their responsibilities in the troop. Female baboons seemed to be more motherly. Female baboons were most of the time taking care of their children. Female baboons tend to be more aggressive when pregnant or nursing a child. Female baboons and human females are very alike. I believe most human mothers will protect their children against any harm that may come towards them and female baboons will react the same way. The children from these female baboons will later acquire the characteristics of his or her mother and also from the troop that takes him or her. The author seemed to have a better connection and relationship with male baboons anyways. For the author it was easier to shoot male baboons with tranquilizers than female baboons in order to do blood tests. The author would do blood test at different points of his experiment to measure the baboons stress hormones of different baboons. It was easier for him because he believes it was not a good idea to shoot a female baboon that was pregnant or feeding her child. Male baboons had more privileges than female boons. According to the author male baboons had the privilege of transferring from one trop to another. In the other hand female baboons had to stay in the same troop for a long period of time sometimes their whole life. This can relate to what us humans go through. Males tend to have more privileges than females. Even though women