Baboon, Yellow
Papio cynocephalus cynocephalus. This subspecies is also called Central Yellow Baboon.
Yellow baboons are found in central Africa from the west to eastern coasts in Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, and Somalia (Groves 2001). From east of the Luangwa River in Zambia, into Malawi, northern Mozambique, and most of Tanzania, P. c. cynocephalus can be found. Papio cynocephalus ibeanus is found in Kenya and southern Somalia and may range into southeastern Ethiopia while P. c. kindae is found in eastern Angola, southwestern Zambia, and parts of southern Democratic Republic of Congo (Jolly 1993; Groves 2001). There are some areas of overlap in the range of P. cynocephalus and other baboon (Papio) species, but levels of hybridization differ. For example, in Zambia and Angola, P. c. kindae overlaps with P. ursinus subspecies but there is not evidence of interbreeding (Jolly 1993). On the other hand, in Kenya, P. c. ibeanus overlaps with P. anubis and forms a hybrid zone, an area in which individuals show unusual phenotypic diversity resulting from ongoing crossbreeding between species (Samuels & Altmann 1986; Alberts & Altmann 2001). The crossbreeding of P. cynocephalus and P. anubis in this area may have contributed to the formation of the subspecies P. c. ibeanus (Alberts & Altmann 2001).
Read MoreYellow baboons are found in central Africa from the west to eastern coasts in Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, and Somalia (Groves 2001). From east of the Luangwa River in Zambia, into Malawi, northern Mozambique, and most of Tanzania, P. c. cynocephalus can be found. Papio cynocephalus ibeanus is found in Kenya and southern Somalia and may range into southeastern Ethiopia while P. c. kindae is found in eastern Angola, southwestern Zambia, and parts of southern Democratic Republic of Congo (Jolly 1993; Groves 2001). There are some areas of overlap in the range of P. cynocephalus and other baboon (Papio) species, but levels of hybridization differ. For example, in Zambia and Angola, P. c. kindae overlaps with P. ursinus subspecies but there is not evidence of interbreeding (Jolly 1993). On the other hand, in Kenya, P. c. ibeanus overlaps with P. anubis and forms a hybrid zone, an area in which individuals show unusual phenotypic diversity resulting from ongoing crossbreeding between species (Samuels & Altmann 1986; Alberts & Altmann 2001). The crossbreeding of P. cynocephalus and P. anubis in this area may have contributed to the formation of the subspecies P. c. ibeanus (Alberts & Altmann 2001).
