Female–Female Relationships

Baboon studies suggest early hominin foundations for social relationships between women, including the shift from single level to multilevel societies. Females in baboon troops can form enduring relationships in dyads and in networks. Relationships between females can persist in multilevel baboon societies. Despite coercive transfer and control by males in hamadryas society, females find ways to affiliate with their female kin. Guinea baboon females have more freedom than females in hamadryas society, which contributes to an alternative model for multilevel society in early hominins. Relationships between females in all baboon societies involve competition as well as affiliation. Patterns of female competition in baboon troops are likely analogies for early hominins. Contested resources include food and/or access to preferred males. Potential benefits from males include mating, protection, and care for offspring. In hamadryas baboons, females compete for access to the OMU leader. Competitive tactics include the establishment of dominance and some physical aggression.