Sibling Rivalry in Baboons

Young chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) vie for their mother’s attention more often when she’s grooming one of their siblings than when she’s free, which suggests that they get jealous of one another. Researchers found that the monkeys were more likely to interrupt their mother if she was grooming a younger sibling or one of the same sex. Their tactics included tantrums, attempts to physically come between their mother and sibling, and even tricks to lure their sibling away from their mother and take their place.