All in the Family

摘要

When I was in college, I spent a summer studying a troop of baboons living in a primate facility. Every day, I would record which baboons were socializing with one another. The dominant baboon was a 10-year-old male named Owen. Usually, Owen just hung out atop the 20-foot perch and threatened anyone who entered the observation area. One day, my 17-year-old cousin (let's call him Brandon) came to visit. As we walked to the primate center, I explained that we would be in an observation space that separated us from the baboons by large, vertical bars placed a few inches apart. "Just remember," I told him, "baboons threaten each other by showing their teeth and staring each other in the face. So try not to do that."