A new study has revealed a surprising link between the longevity of female baboons and their relationship with fathers.
Even little effort from their dads can prove to be quite significant, as female baboons who experience a stronger relationship with their fathers when young tend to live longer as adults.
Professor Elizabeth Archie, co-author of the research from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, shared, "Among primates, humans are really unusual in how much dads contribute to raising offspring."
According to the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the experts observed 216 females fathered by 102 male wild baboons in Kenya.
The team first studied the frequency of interaction between father and daughters during the first four years of the females' lives.
The researchers then tracked how long the daughters lived as adults.
Conclusion of the study
It was revealed that female baboons who, during the initial four years of their lives, bonded with their fathers lived two to four years longer as adults compared to their fellows who had weaker relationships with their dads.
Although the reason for such a direct connection between father-daughter bonds and female longevity is not clear, Archie suggested there could be a number of factors at work.
Notably, fathers were more likely to step in if their daughters get into fights.
Moreover, in a protective male presence, female baboons were less likely to have food stolen or be injured, which helped them grow into healthier adults.
