Baboon being examined

What wild baboons can teach us about aging

For 50 years, researchers in Kenya have studied more than 1,500 baboons across eight generations. What they’ve learned could apply to our lives, too.

After darting a baboon named Olduvai in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, Benard Oyath and Jackson Warutere with the Amboseli Baboon Research Project (ABRP) took measurements and samples of blood, fluid, and skin, releasing Olduvai unharmed. The ABRP has shed light on how primates age—with clues for our health too.
This content is Subscriber-Exclusive
You must have a National Geographic subscription to explore this article.

Unlock this Nat Geo Premium content–and much more

Want to keep exploring? Unlock this exclusive story and more with Nat Geo Premium.
Already a subscriber?
Sign In

Read This Next

What bacteria lurk in your city? Consult the bees.
Is melatonin giving you nightmares?
Why are these orcas killing sharks and removing their livers?

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet