A team of scientists has found a surprise element to the social structure of baboons: democracy. The animals live in groups with asingle male leader. But, apparently, obedience to the leader is not always therule.

In this file photo taken on Jan. 16, 2015, a baboon feeds on plants in Lake Manyara National Park on the outskirts of Arusha, northern Tanzania. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Margaret Crofoot is a primatologist at the University of California, Davis. Sheled the scientists in their study of wild baboons at the Mpala Research Centerin Kenya.

The team placed GPS devices on 25 baboons. They recorded the animals’movements for two weeks. The devices provided about 20 million points ofdata.

The scientists examined the data by measuring the distance between twobaboons. How that distance changed provided a picture of how the groupmoved as a whole.

Ms. Crofoot says she was surprised that the baboons did not follow thegroup’s lead, or dominant, male. Her team found that the majority ruled thegroup’s movements. The animals followed the direction set by the mostbaboons. Ms. Crofoot says the results show that dominant individuals onlydirect what the group does some of the time. She says at other times theprocess is more egalitarian and democratic.

Individual baboons decide where to go by looking around to see where othersare going. Looking to one’s neighbors when deciding where to go is notunusual for birds and fish. But it was not expected for baboons.

Scientist Crofoot says when the baboons could not compromise about adirection, they often had to stop and think about the issue. This meant losingtime for eating, playing, socializing and other activities.

So, the urge to move with the crowd may be the greatest evolutionaryinvention in support of unity.

I’m Caty Weaver.

Maia Pujara reported this story from Washington. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

primatologist – n. a person who studies primates especially other thanrecent humans

data – n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plansomething

dominant – adj. more important, powerful, or successful than most or allothers

egalitarian– adj. aiming for equal wealth, status, etc. among members in agroup

evolutionary– adj. concerning or relating to a process of slow change anddevelopment