Baboons Have the Longest Canine Teeth of Any Monkey
A baboon is a large ground-dwelling monkey of Africa and Arabia. Its social life is one of the most studied in the animal world.
A baboon is a large monkey of the genus *Papio*, living on the ground across Africa and into Arabia. Male baboons carry canine teeth longer than a lion's relative to body size — a display weapon used mainly against rivals. Their troops, which can exceed a hundred animals, are among the most closely studied societies in primatology.
- A large African monkey. *A troop of baboons.*
- A crude or brutish person (offensive). *Called him a baboon.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | baboon | An olive baboon. |
| Plural | baboons | Baboons foraging. |
| Group | troop | A troop of baboons. |
| Genus | Papio | The genus Papio. |
| Related | primate | An African primate. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Baboons raid crops near settlements.A recurring conflict with farmers.
- The troop groomed for hours.Grooming maintains social bonds.
- Hamadryas baboons were sacred in Egypt.Associated with the god Thoth.
Baboon species
- Olive — the most widespread
- Yellow — eastern and southern Africa
- Chacma — southern Africa, the largest
- Guinea — the smallest, in West Africa
- Hamadryas — Arabia and the Horn of Africa, with a silver cape
From Old French *babuin*, which meant both an ape and a gaping figure, from *baboue*, a grimace. The insult sense is as old as the animal sense.
Are baboons monkeys or apes?
Monkeys. They have tails and belong to the Old World monkey family, not to the apes.
Why were hamadryas baboons sacred?
Ancient Egyptians associated them with Thoth, god of writing and wisdom, and mummified them in large numbers.