If it works for Baboons, think it will work on Republicans?

[revree]

FAREWELL TO BULLYING BABOONS


NY TIMES - Among a troop of savanna baboons in Kenya, a terrible
outbreak of tuberculosis 20 years ago selectively killed off the
biggest, nastiest and most despotic males, setting the stage for a
social and behavioral transformation unlike any seen in this notoriously truculent primate.

In a study appearing today in the journal PloS Biology, researchers
describe the drastic temperamental and tonal shift that occurred in a
troop of 62 baboons when its most belligerent members vanished from the scene. The victims were all dominant adult males that had been strong and snarly enough to fight with a neighboring baboon troop over the spoils at a tourist lodge garbage dump, and were exposed there to meat tainted with bovine tuberculosis, which soon killed them. Left behind in the troop, designated the Forest Troop, were the 50 percent of males that had been too subordinate to try dump brawling, as well as all the females and their young. With that change in demographics came a cultural swing toward pacifism, a relaxing of the usually parlous baboon hierarchy, and a willingness to use affection and mutual grooming rather than threats, swipes and bites to foster a patriotic spirit.

Remarkably, the Forest Troop has maintained its genial style over two
decades, even though the male survivors of the epidemic have since died or disappeared and been replaced by males from the outside. (As is the case for most primates, baboon females spend their lives in their natal home, while the males leave at puberty to seek their fortunes elsewhere.) The persistence of communal comity suggests that the resident baboons must somehow be instructing the immigrants in the
unusual customs of the tribe. . .

Dr. Sapolsky, who is renowned for his study of the physiology of stress, said that the Forest Troop baboons probably felt as good as they acted. Hormone samples from the monkeys showed far less evidence of stress in even the lowest-ranking individuals, when contrasted with baboons living in more rancorous societies.


more....

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/13/science/13BABO.html

[sjgman9]

1. This is insulting for baboons!

Comparing them to Republicans!

I would be happy if Bush was a poop-flinging monkey, but thats an insult to all poop-flinging monkeys

[frank frankly]

2. the american humans are following a mad retarded evil chimp

when we have regime change and kerry is president, things will improve.

they must.

[methinks2]

3. LMAO

:yourock:
thanks for the laugh!

[damnraddem]

4. No, it just won't work.

For it to work requires at least the intellectual development of the average male baboon. Republicans just don't cut it.

[LuLu550]

5. Anyone have the web address of

"Tainted Meat R US" so we can send the administration something to throw on the grill?
:evilgrin:

[RC]

6. LOL

Great gift idea.

[9215]

7. LOL! Now why isn't this topic locked

Heck, I came up with a poll asking what people would think of abortion for babies born with a Repug "gene" (if it were discovered) and the mods locked it. :cry:

Funny as hell topic anyway. :bounce: