Methodology for step 2

We will study juvenile chacma baboons at the Tsaobis Nature Park in Namibia.

The Tsaobis Baboon Project is a long-term, individual-based study of 2 troops of wild baboons habituated to observers on foot.

Currently, the study troops together contain 145 individuals, of which 58 are juveniles. Recent research at this site has focussed on infant and juvenile behaviour, in particular on social learning strategies, which will provide a rich history of relevant behaviour of the current cohort of juveniles. Since 2015, the TBP has been amassing a database of inventions using ad libitum sampling, but this approach has focussed on ‘practical’ inventions, such as learning how to turn on a tap.

The new approach will focus on inventions during play. To determine the rates at which juveniles play and invent, we will conduct an observational study, helped by a team of experienced observers present on the field.

Data will be collected in 2 ways:
(1) focal animal sampling to determine the amounts of time each individual juvenile dedicates to play, and what kinds of behaviours they invent during play, and
(2) ad libitum sampling of inventions during play, to create a repertoire of all inventions observed.

We will organise the results of the research by structuring them around the following questions:
- What were the inventions observed?
- Who produced them (particular individuals more than others? what characteristics of these individuals?)?
- Under what circumstances were they invented (locomotor play? social play? object play?)?
- What is the stability of these inventions (do they happen only once or do they repeat themselves afterwards?)?