Overview

• Females who spent more time grooming and co-residing with their fathers during their first four years lived two to four years longer as adults than those with weaker paternal ties.
• The research analyzed 216 father-daughter pairs from the Amboseli Baboon Research Project, drawing on continuous data collected since 1971.
• Authors propose that fathers create a 'zone of safety' by intervening in conflicts and deterring aggression, which may lower stress and injury for their daughters.
• Male baboons in later life often adopt a caregiving strategy, reducing mating efforts to maintain proximity and social bonds with their offspring.
• The findings reveal that even minimal paternal investment can significantly enhance offspring fitness, offering new insights into the evolution of parental care.