Barbara Smuts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barbara Boardman Smuts
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| Born | 1950 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Anthropologist, psychologist |
| Known for | Social relationships among animals |
Barbara Boardman Smuts is an American scientist who studies animals. She is known for her amazing research on baboons, dolphins, and chimpanzees. She used to be a professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
She studied anthropology at Harvard University and later earned her Ph.D. from Stanford Medical School. In the 1970s, she started studying animal behavior at the University of Michigan. She even worked with famous scientist Jane Goodall to study chimpanzees in Gombe National Park. During her early field research, she faced a very challenging and difficult experience. This showed how tough and dedicated she was to her work. In 1988, she received a special award for her important scientific contributions to psychology.
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Becoming a Scientist
Barbara Smuts was born in 1950. Her parents were Alice and Robert Smuts. She has a brother named Robert. Her family moved to Michigan in 1960. Later, in 1969, they moved to Ann Arbor.
She went to Harvard University and earned a degree in anthropology. Anthropology is the study of human societies and cultures. She then continued her studies at Stanford University. There, she earned her Ph.D. in a field related to how the brain and behavior work. Her Ph.D. advisor was David Hamburg.
Studying Animals
Much of Dr. Smuts's research looks at how animals form friendships and relationships. She has studied chimpanzees and baboons a lot.
Baboon Relationships
In 1976, Dr. Smuts began studying wild baboons. Her observations changed what scientists thought about male baboons. Before her work, many believed male baboons were always dominant.
Dr. Smuts found that female baboons preferred to mate with males who were friendly to them. These males also interacted kindly with the females' babies. This showed that social bonds were very important.
Dolphin Social Life
Dr. Smuts also researched how bottlenose dolphins develop their social skills. She worked closely with another scientist named Janet Mann on these studies. They learned a lot about how dolphins interact with each other.
Dog Behavior
More recently, Dr. Smuts has focused her research on dogs. She studies their social behavior at the University of Michigan. This work helps us understand our furry friends even better.
