Small groups may average as little as 600 meters a day, and even large herds of 300-400 animals rarely travel over 2 km per day. Some of the differences were resolved by Kawai et al. Each band utilizes a home range of about 1.5-2.0 sq km, which overlaps to some extent with the ranges of neighboring bands. When grazing conditions are good, several bands may join in temporary aggregations of as many as 670 individuals. All-male units, averaging about eight individuals each, contain mainly young animals, though an older male may also be present.
Most reproductive units have only a single adult male, but a few have two or three.
These units usually have about three to six adult females, plus their young. There seems to be general agreement that the main factor in keeping a reproductive unit together is the strength of bonds between the females, rather than male dominance and herding, the case in Papio hamadryas. Through this female relationship and its descent from mother to daughter, the reproductive unit persists generation after generation, even if males are not present at times. Since there also is movement of females between groups, some or most of these animals may not be related. There may be little or no social interaction, particularly grooming, between unrelated individuals.