Baboon behavior under crowded conditions (1979)

Elton, R. H.

Abstract

A stable breeding troop's living space - barren room - was reduced step-wise up to 50%, by means of a movable wall. Crowding produced sharp increases in aggression, noticeable increase in tension and general activity. Social disintegration [e.g., vicious aggression, social withdrawal accompanied by self-directed behaviors], as well as individual pathology [e.g., pulling of hair out of other animals (by the handful) and eating it ; chewing fingers], was the end result of the crowding in this group of baboons.