New research shows baboons line up to stay close to friends — not to avoid predators
Baboons Walk in Lines — Just to Stay Close to Friends, Not for Safety
New research from Swansea University has uncovered a surprising reason why baboons walk in neat lines, known as “progressions”: it’s not for protection or leadership, but simply to stick close to their friends.
For years, scientists debated why baboons travel in these orderly formations. Some thought the order was random, others believed vulnerable baboons stayed in the middle for safety, or that leaders took charge at the front. But by tracking wild chacma baboons in South Africa with high-tech GPS, researchers found something different.
The study, published in Behavioral Ecology, reveals that baboon travel order reflects their social bonds, not survival tactics. The more socially connected, higher-ranking baboons tend to walk in the middle, while lower-ranking individuals are at the front or rear—not because they’re leading or protecting, but just because of who they hang out with.
Dr. Andrew King from Swansea University explained, “The baboons aren’t positioning themselves for safety or resources. They simply move alongside their friends. The order we see emerges naturally from these social relationships.”
This phenomenon is called a “social spandrel” — a by-product of social bonds rather than an evolved strategy. Like the triangular spaces (spandrels) that form unintentionally between arches in architecture, the baboons’ walking patterns arise naturally from their friendships.
Lead author Marco Fele added, “While social bonds are known to boost survival and reproduction in baboons, the travel order itself doesn’t serve an immediate purpose — it’s just a side effect of their social connections.”
So next time you see a line of baboons walking together, remember: they’re just friends sticking close, not soldiers on patrol.