We asked Dr. Sapolsky how his work in Kenya informs his work in the lab, and vice versa.  He responded that initially, once a topic researched in the lab became substantial enough, Sapolsky would explore it in baboons as a step toward real-world application.  Any new progress or questions that emerged from baboon observation in the wild would then be taken back to the lab to be explored in rats once more.  This parallel relationship does not exist anymore according to Sapolsky, as the two avenues of research have followed two separate paths.  In recent years, Sapolsky's research on rats has become more and more reductive while his research on baboons has become more and more sociological.  

Click here to see Dr. Sapolsky address the relationship between his lab and field research.  (39:06-41:29)