Barbara Boardman Smuts is an American

anthropologist An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...

and

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...

noted for her research into baboons, dolphins, and chimpanzees, and a

Professor Emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Early life and education

Smuts was born to Alice Smuts (1921–2020) and Robert ("Bob") Walter Schmutz (later anglicised to Smuts) in 1950. She has a brother, Robert Malcolm Smuts, born 1949. Smuts moved to Michigan with her family in 1960, and in 1969 to Ann Arbor whilst her mother obtained her Ph.D. She has an undergraduate degree from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in anthropology, and did a Ph.D. in neurological and biological behavioral science at Stanford Medical School with David Hamburg.Profile
at the Council of Human Development

Research

Much of Smuts' research concerns the development of social relationships between animals, particularly among chimpanzee and baboon populations. In the 1970s she began studying animal behaviour at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, including research with Jane Goodall on chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, where she had a violent introduction to field research, being among four field researchers kidnapped and beaten by a

Marxist Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...

revolutionary group. Smuts began studies of wild baboons in 1976, and her observations challenged the prevailing view of male dominance. Studies she made of wild olive baboons in Tanzania and Kenya inspired her 1985 book ''Sex and Friendship in Baboons''. The book, the fruit of two years' research, showed how two different groups of the same primate interact with each other socially. She determined that friendship was a critical predictor of sexual activity between male and female baboons: females preferred to mate with males that had previously engaged in friendly interactions with them and could interact with their other offspring as well. Smuts also carried out research into bottlenose dolphin social development, working extensively with Janet Mann. Smuts' more recent research at the

has focused on social behavior among dogs.Barbara Smuts research profile
a
UMich.edu
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Awards

She received the

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychologists in the United States, and the largest psychological association in the world. It has over 170,000 members, including scientists, educators, clin ...

Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contribution to Psychology (Area: Animal Learning and Behavior) in 1988.

Publications

* Wrangham, R. and Smuts, B. B. (1980). "Sex differences in the behavioural ecology of chimpanzees in the Gombe National Park, Tanzania." ''Journal of Reproduction and Fertility''. Supplement, 28, 13–31. *Smuts, B.B. (2009. First printing 1985
Sex and Friendship in Baboons
New York: Aldine Publishing Co. *Smuts, B.B., Cheney, D.L. Seyfarth, R.M., Wrangham, R.W., & Struhsaker, T.T. (Eds.) (1987). ''Primate Societies''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. * *

References

External links

Barbara Smuts faculty profile
at the University of Michigan {{DEFAULTSORT:Smuts, Barbara 1950 births Living people American anthropologists American primatologists Discover (magazine) people Harvard University alumni Stanford University School of Medicine alumni University of Michigan faculty Women primatologists