| Kinda baboon[1] | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Family: | Cercopithecidae |
| Genus: | Papio |
| Species: | P. cynocephalus |
| Subspecies: | P. c. kindae |
| Trinomial name | |
| Papio cynocephalus kindae Lönnberg, 1919 |
|
The Kinda baboon (Papio cynocephalus subsp. kindae) is a subspecies of baboon present in the Miombo woodlands of Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and possibly western Tanzania. While the Kinda Baboon is often considered to be a subspecies of the yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus), it is distinct enough to merit status as full species (P. kindae) under the phylogenetic species concept.
Like the yellow baboon, the Kinda baboon is golden in color with a light build and lanky appearance. Unlike the yellow baboon and all other baboons, however, it is unusually small: adult males are approximately the size of adult females of other baboon species.[3] The Kinda baboon is also characterized by its short face (relating to its small size), pink circles around its eyes, and infants born with white instead of black hair.[4]
Baboons intermediate between the Kinda baboon and the yellow baboon in appearance and size are present in northeastern Zambia, and possibly in northern Malawi and southwestern Tanzania.[5][6] Such a broad area of intergradation has been taken as evidence of substantial genetic exchange between the two taxa.
The Kinda baboon appears to live in large (perhaps over 100 members) multimale, multifemale groups, similar to the Anubis and yellow baboons.[4] Little else is known about its behavior.
The Kinda is named after its type locality, a town in the southern DRC.