Baboons Make Pets Of Feral Dogs

Perhaps it is the beginning of a symbiotic relationship, driven by nature's forces to assure survival and sustainability in a species. The baboons may see the dogs as an extension of protection, in that they bark when they see predators, and they provide milk maybe, and they provide companionship and play. These things all add to the chances of survival.

Examples of symbiotic relationships:

The Honeyguide is an African bird the leads the Honey Badger to a Bee hive.
The Honey Badger feeds on the honey and grubs & when its finished the honey guide is now able to feast on the beeswax, nice

The white-winged dove (left) has a mutualistic relationship with the Saguaro Cactus.  The cactus provides food for the bird in the form of a large fruit.  The bird consumes the fruit, also ingesting the cactus' seeds.  The bird then flies off, and later deposits the seeds in a new location (with a nice dose of fertilizer to boot!).  In this way, the cactus gets its seeds transported away from the parent plant, allowing it to potentially colonize new places.  This type of mutualism is known as a dispersive mutualism.

The Cattle Egret (below left) is often seen in the company of grazing animals.  The grazers stir up insects, which the egret then eats.  This is probably a loose sort of commensalism; there is no apparent benefit to the cattle.  The commensalism is loose because the egrets will follow any cattle; in Florida, in fact, I have seen them following mowers.

On the other hand, the oxpecker (not pictured) is a bird that rides around on the backs of cattle and other large animals such as rhinos.  The oxpecker feeds on ectoparasites of the cattle such as ticks and warns the animals of approaching predators; thus both organisms benefit in a loose mutualism.  On the other hand, the oxpeckers also pick at scabs and wounds on the animals and may ingest bits of flesh and blood (thus making them more like parasites).  The natural world is complicated!

Fish don't go to the health centre. Instead, they frequent 'cleaning stations' - neutral zones where small cleaner fish - including wrasses, catfish and gobies - wait for larger clients. When visiting a station, client fish - such as parrotfish, damselfish and sharks - adopt a distinctive pose, signalling they want to be cleaned (and won't eat the cleaner).

Cleaner fish then gorge themselves on parasites, mucous and dead tissues from the surface of their client. In addition to a spick and span skin, client fish enjoy a good tickle. It's partly this rewarding sensation that stops the client fish gobbling up the cleaner fish.
bees and orchids

www.marietta.edu...

Peace,
spec

Originally posted by TheWalkingFox
reply to post by icepack

 

Nothing, because it doesn't work.

As for the question of whether this is evolution... no. This is culture.

And also, judging by baboons in question - they're hamadrayas baboons - the location is likely Somalia or Ethiopia.

edit on 9/8/2011 by TheWalkingFox because: (no reason given)

LOL not evolution...this is culture....so we have not evolved at all since we became Homo sapiens. Try a larger perspective...evolution of thoughts is evolution....and many animals are starting to behave differently. The planets energy grid is bumping up in density/complexity and all beings connected to this grid will evolve also...but don't look for an extra "finger" to point out evolutionary steps.

When we evolve our form usually stays the same, its our thoughts that evolve if we are connected to the earths energy we evolve too...many of us feel it happening with the new ideas we have and the increase in inspiration. This is a form of problem solving/emotional response they are displaying....WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR EVOLUTIONARY EVIDENCE?? LOL sorry but its plain as day if you pull your head out of the whole you have it stuck in...

some primates are displaying new tool use also...but thats not evolution either right? LOL sorry to be condescending...but "you" aren't going to evolve if you stick to that thought pattern you have there...

reply to post by Drala


Intelligence is a sign of something...if animal behavior is becoming more intelligent what is it a sign of?? Just 'culture' as you say really dumbs the process down...they express more "complex thought" culturally...

animal abuse anyone? lol wow monkeys are kinda harsh when it comes to pets...

Originally posted by DieBravely

Originally posted by juggalo307
Evolution is a lie

You don't even understand how magnets work

That made my goddamned day. Star for you, sir

reply to post by Drala


Do spare me this "harmonic crystal space unity energy spirit evolution" crap, kay? When I speak of evolution, I speak of it in scientific terms, and not this "evolving to a higher plane with unocorns and flying dolphins" mule crap you've got going here.

There is not a genetic proclivity for taming dogs. It's behavioral. This particular behavior may result in a situation where genetic traits that favor a culture with dogs come to dominate the populace; that is, the cultural trait may spur a change, i.e., evolution.

Again, I'm talking science, not a satori awakening of the third eye to reach perfected alignment with the electric space bunnies.

Originally posted by BIack
animal abuse anyone? lol wow monkeys are kinda harsh when it comes to pets...

Eh . . . we're not really any better if you think about. Shipping puppies in crates, castrating them so they don't breed/hump our legs, slapping shock collars on 'em, etc . . .

That was really cool! I love learning about animals.. We really arn't so different in the end.
Thanks for posting!

reply to post by Swills


I'll have to look deeper I haven't been able to find the full doc. yet. Thanks for the comment.
2nd

They give the dogs a beating and then lick its ass and balls. A strange way to raise a pet.

reply to post by goldentorch


I must add to this awesome thread about primates!

Drunk Monkeys in the Caribbean


I may have just found my next vacation destination! I am soooooo getting drunk with these awesome monkeys! Rounds on me little fellas!

St. Kitts, oh yeah!
www.stkittstourism.kn...

reply to post by Swills


If it's your round mine's a double

Some interesting facts there about how the numbers of teetotalers to drinkers as well as the numbers that drink moderately instead of heavily all come in at about the same numbers as ourselves. Thanks for that nice one.

amazing! i have always been amazed how humans can bond with animals and live side by side with them.
not only are these baboons living with these dogs, they have also domesticated them to an extent. im no historian but i dont beleive animals were domesticated over night.

Feral dogs are still domesticated dogs. I wonder if this could be possible if dogs weren't already bred for this by humans.

I was in Yellowstone this summer, and a ranger was talking about how the ravens spot prey that are having problems, than then go find a wolf pack. The wolf pack follows the ravens, and kills the injured prey. The ravens then get to eat from the kill.

I don't know that this is all new behaviour. Until a couple of hundred years ago, humans still thought that wheat sprang up its own pests instantaneously. It is somewhat likely we just weren't noticing these behaviours.

It's very interesting to me how very healthy the adult dogs look!

Grabbing the poor pups by the tails look awfully painful and scary to the dog, but I guess they get stockhold syndrome? Isn't that's what it's called? Where you come to identify with and like your captors?

reply to post by goldentorch


In best Heston voice: A planet where apes evolved from men

This is absolutely amazing and yes it may be chalked up to Evolution. Reminds me of when they found that Chimpanzees actually make crude spears and go to war with rival factions over territory. Yet creationists will still contend that human beings are so much more advanced/better than our primate cousins, I, and this footage, beg to differ.

Give the baboons a few hundreds of years and they may very well start breeding the dogs for convenience...

Less risky and you can control quality and quantity of stock... Somehow shocking for a video about animals.

So thew question in my mind is... Do animals imitate humans or do humans imitate animals?... The ideas may simply go round and round until discovered anew by one specie or another. Hm.

Baboons and dogs living together...Mass hysteria!!!

reply to post by otie1


We've been domesticating them for quite a while, I knew we had but this surprised me

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by Aeons


Hard to tell on the domestication if they hadn't been from doesticated stock. I've known hunting dogs kept away from any contact with domestication per se. Although I accept in being trained for hunting they are to an extent domesticated but they are still just on the edge of civilized. I also knew a farm where feral cats were kept and I don't think the Baboons would have had much success with them I know I for one gave them a wide berth.