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A mother knows best
The inheritance of social status, and its associated costs and benefits, is well demonstrated in humans. It is more difficult to demonstrate that such an intergenerational system exists in other species. Ilany et al. examined nearly 30 years of social interaction data in spotted hyenas, a female-dominated system with a highly structured society, and found that status inheritance is just as important (see perspective from Firth and Sheldon ). Juvenile hyenas had similar social associations to their mothers, and the strength of the association was higher for mothers of higher status. Importantly, survival was associated with social heredity, suggesting that these social roles are essential to the lives of hyenas.
Science, abc1966, this issue p. 348; see also abj5234, p. 274
Abstract
The structure of animal social networks influences survival and reproductive success, as well as the transmission of pathogens and information. However, the general mechanisms determining social structure remain unclear. Using data from 73,767 social interactions among wild spotted hyenas collected over 27 years, we show that the process of social inheritance determines how offspring relationships are formed and maintained. Relations between offspring and other hyenas are similar to their mothers up to 6 years, and the degree of similarity increases with the social rank of the mother. The strength of the mother-child relationship affects social heritage and is positively correlated with the longevity of the offspring. These results support the hypothesis that the social inheritance of relationships can structure animal social networks and be subject to adaptive compromises.
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