Beijing, 18 May (Xinhua) -- Like human beings, baboons cannot live without the help of friends. American researchers have found that forming close social relationships in adulthood helps baboons overcome the trauma left by early survival adversity and increase life expectancy.
Local students observe baboons up close in Kenya's Lake Nakuru National Park on June 21, 2017. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Cheng
The Duke-led team studied surveillance data from 199 female baboons living in Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya between 1983 and 2019 to understand how their early life experiences and adult social connections affected their long-term survival.
The researchers focused on the early survival dilemmas faced by female baboons, such as whether they had a low-status or isolated mother, whether their mothers died when they were minors, whether they were born in a dry year, in a large group or had a sibling of a similar age, which may mean that there is a high competition for resources or it is harder to get their mother's attention. The analysis showed that baboons that grow in Amboseli are generally under great pressure to survive. Of the study subjects, 75 percent experienced at least one stressor and 33 percent experienced at least two.
A herd of baboons forages in Ethiopia's Semien National Park on November 26, 2013. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Duo
The researchers found that the effects of early survival difficulties can be cumulative, with each additional species potentially shortening the lifespan of female baboons by 1.4 years. For example, female baboons that experienced four difficulties in their growth died nearly 5.6 years earlier than their peers who did not, while the average life expectancy of female baboons was only about 18 years.
However, regardless of their early circumstances, building strong social relationships with other baboons in adulthood is good for their health, increasing life expectancy by 2.2 years.
A baboon with its cub moves along the park's driveway in Morey National Park, Ghana, December 24, 2016. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Shi Song
The research paper was published in the American journal "Science Advances" on the 17th. Susan Alberts, senior author and professor of biology and evolutionary anthropology at Duke University, said: "Faithful friends are the medicine of life. ”
Researchers say multiple studies have shown that people who experience traumatic events as children, such as having a parent who binge on alcohol or growing up in a turbulent family, exposes them to worse health and survival risks later in life. However, because these experiences are subjective and human memories of the past may not be accurate enough, wild primates are thought to be the subjects of study that better understand humans.
The researchers believe that at this stage, it is not certain whether the research results are applicable to humans. If applicable, suggests that early intervention is not the only effective way to overcome the effects of childhood trauma.
"If you do experience early life adversity, try to make friends no matter what you do," Alberts said. (Qiao Ying)