Social Inheritance

Uh-oh! Follow request from Mom – should you accept?

This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.

Remember when Mom used to be cool? Hyenas do!

Like humans, hyenas are social creatures – pack animals actually. Also like humans, they can use their parents’ social standing for their own benefit. How so?

Ask Amiyaal Ilany from Bar-Ilan University and team. They looked at thirty years of observations on hyena social networks and family relationships.

Their findings? Hyenas inherit social standing from their mothers! Daughters especially. The HIGHER the rank of their mom, the LONGER the kids benefit. Perks include being first-in-line to learn hunting and defensive skills.

It’s all about who you know!

So be a good cub and add your mom on the ‘Gram. You might become Leader of the Pack!


Reference: Ilany, A., Holekamp, K. E., & Akçay, E. (2021). Rank-dependent social inheritance determines social network structure in spotted hyenas. Science, 373(6552), 348–352. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abc1966