Guinea baboons (Papio papio) show relatively subdued swelling, aligning with their tightly knit social units, where long-term male-female bonds reduce reliance on visual fertility cues. Hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) differ further, as their rigid harem-based system places less emphasis on swelling for mate selection. Environmental Influences

The Guinea baboon (Papio papio) is a baboon from the Old World monkey family. Some (older) classifications list only two species in the genus Papio, this one and the hamadryas baboon. In those classifications, all other Papio species are considered subspecies of P. papio and the species is called the savanna baboon.

Specifically, females of low fertility, such as adolescents, exhibited substantially larger swellings than adults of a higher fertility level. Research remains fairly consistent across animal species; female yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus) who struggle to conceive are, on average, those that display the most prominent sexual swellings. [39]

We used data on variation in sexual behaviors and sexual swellings in relation to the fertile period (estimated from the date of swelling detumescence) from a troop of semi-free ranging olive baboons (Papio anubis) to assess how different signals influence patterns of mate choice.

Female perineal swelling and its effects on male sexual arousal: an apparent sexual releaser in the chacma baboon (Papio ursinus). International Journal of Primatology, 8, 651–61CrossRef Google Scholar

Jun 4, 2012 · Females of many primate species exhibit exaggerated sexual swellings—large, conspicuous, and sometimes brightly colored swellings of the anogenital area (and sometimes other correlated areas) that occur during the periovulatory phase of the sexual cycle.

Here, we present data on baboon (Papio hamadryas anubis) sexual swellings, including measures of both swelling size and color, measured objectively using digital photography at Gashaka-Gumti National Park, Nigeria.

Female baboons display large perineal sexual skin swelling, which predictably changes throughout the estrous cycle and pregnancy, making determination of phase of cycle easy to distinguish visually by a trained observer.

We propose that swelling size may advertise the period during which males should consort with females, with other signals available only from closer inspection then used by consorting males to assess the timing of the fertile period more accurately.

Reproductive data are presented for female Papio papio housed in the Zoological Park of Paris and are compared with previously published data from free-ranging populations of other baboon species. The results indicate similar intermenstrual intervals and durations of sexual swelling.