Most animal societies are led by men, but in some, it is the females who rule.
These matriarchal groups are typically led by the oldest and wisest individuals. Female leadership developed primarily among mammals, which tend to live longer and have fewer offspring than other types of animals. Female-led animals are those in which females have a disproportionate influence on the collective behavior of group members, according to a 2020 study published in the journal The Leadership Quarterly.
Female leadership takes many forms. Females of some species, such as bonobos and spotted hyenas, rule by forging alliances and coordinating attacks on males, while others, such as African savanna elephants and orcas, dominate through their wisdom.
So, without further ado, here are six examples of animals with female bosses.
Elephants of the African savannah
The African savannah elephant (African loxodont) is the largest species of elephant and the largest land animal on Earth. According to WWFthese elephants Sub-Saharan African elephants live in family groups of about ten females and their young. These family groups often join together to form “clans” of several hundred elephants, led by a single matriarch. This leadership role is usually given to the oldest and most experienced female in the group.
The matriarch decides where the herd goes, how to respond to threats and crises, and when and where to settle down to sleep. She also leads the elephants to food and water, no small feat, given that African savanna elephants need about 300 pounds (140 kilograms) of vegetation and up to 50 gallons (190 liters) of water per day to maintain their enormous size.
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But the matriarch’s wisdom and authority don’t necessarily make her an autocrat, according to the nonprofit organization. Elephant voice. Other members of the group may make suggestions and influence where the elephants should move, for example. There can also be conflicts between females, and these sometimes erupt when the matriarch dies, leaving behind a power vacuum.
Male African savanna elephants associate with female-led herds only during the mating season.
Spotted hyenas
The spotted hyena (Croquettes croquettes) is a highly social and intelligent species. Like African savanna elephants, spotted hyenas live in female-led clans that can include anywhere between six and 90 hyenasFemale spotted hyenas are not much larger than their male counterparts, but they are much more aggressive and can therefore wield more power. Women also have a pseudopenis – an elongated clitoris that is so large it resembles a penis – and lack a vaginal opening, which means they almost look like males. Due to their anatomy, female spotted hyenas have complete control over who they mate with. When choosing to mate, females retract their pseudopenis to form an opening into which males can insert their penis.
Female spotted hyenas assert their dominance through aggressive behavior, as well as by grouping together, studies have shownFemales receive much more social support in hyena clans than males, meaning they are more likely to command and “win” interactions between the sexes. Disparities in social support arise because male spotted hyenas leave their natal clans when they reach pubertyThe social bonds they form when they join a new clan are weaker than those of females who grew up together.
The orcas
The orcas (Orca), also known as orcas, are one of the ocean’s top predators. They live in matriarchal societies, with separate groups consisting of a female, her offspring, and her offspring’s offspring. Groups range in size from a few to more than 20 male and female orcas, depending on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationMultiple groups may come together in large pods to socialize, hunt, or mate, but orcas always eventually return to their natal pod.
Orcas depend on other members of the group to survive. For example, orcas have been observed catching food to feed a group member who was missing two flippers, The Daily Mail reportedBut it is the females who do the heavy lifting: the mother orcas. to care for their sons into adulthood by chasing and guiding them, even if this affects the mother’s chances of reproduction. Older females are also responsible for driving the gondola to the food and for teaching their youth new skills that help them survive.
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Orcas are one of the rare species who are going through menopause, which frees up time for older women to care for their grandchildren. Research It has been shown that care by a grandmother significantly increases the survival of her grandchildren, and that the death of a grandmother, in contrast, leads to increased mortality among the latter. The evolution of menopause in orca societies also ensures that there is no competition for mates between older and younger related females.
Bonobos
Bonobos (Pan paniscus), with chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), are our closest living relatives. Bonobos live in large social groups of males and females, but unlike chimpanzee groups, bonobo communities are led by females. Females resolve conflicts by sexual contactTo comfort the victim of a fight, for example, a female will hug him and swing her hips from side to side to establish genital contact. Sexual contact is thought to regulate stress in bonobos and ease tensions between group members so they can coexist peacefully.
Bonobo females disperse when they reach sexual maturity and migrate to new groups, while males remain in their natal groups. In their new groups, females using sex to quickly form strong social bonds with unrelated women – and often of higher status. They maintain these ties throughout their lives and use them to orchestrate attacks against males. By asserting their dominance in this way, female bonobos guarantee their access to quality foodwhich increases their reproductive success and deters unwanted sexual behaviors from males.
The bees
The bees (Apis) are known to be led by a single adult queen. These bees live in giant colonies of tens of thousands of female workers who build the nest, forage for food, and care for the brood. The workers are sexually underdeveloped and do not lay eggs. Only the queen can reproduce, and she does so with the help of several hundred male “drones” that only join the colony in late spring and summer. Drones do not have stingers, wax glands, or pollen baskets; their primary role is to fertilize the queen’s eggs, after which they drop dead, according to the University of Delaware.
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According to the University of Delaware, the queen bee ensures the survival of the colony by laying up to 250,000 eggs per year, and more than a million in her lifetime. (Queens can live up to five years.) She is also responsible for maintaining the colony by producing a pheromone that unifies the hive and gives it an individual “identity,” which builds loyalty among her workers. To perform her duties and in exchange for her hard work, the queen needs constant attention and a steady supply of royal jelly, a nutrient-rich milky substance produced by the workers. The number of eggs the queen lays depends on the amount of food she receives and the ability of her workers to build wax cells for her eggs.
Lemurs
Several maki species have female leaders. In ring-tailed lemurs (lemur cat), who live in mixed social groups up to 25 peopleFemales can dominate because they need to be the first to feed in order to reproduce successfully. Females behave aggressively toward both males and females when competing for food, but males are more submissivewhich means that the females come out on top.
Female lemurs consistently win conflicts with males, but the reasons for this are not yet clear. Lemurs are monomorphic, meaning that males and females grow to similar sizes and generally resemble each other, but males nevertheless seem to feel threatened by females. High-ranking males, in particular, I would rather skip a meal than fighting off hungry females. By avoiding antagonistic interactions with females, these males can improve their chances of reproducing.