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Jilly_in_VA

(11,798 posts)
Thu Apr 24, 2025, 01:43 PM 23 hrs ago

Bonobos form girl groups to fend off male aggression, study says

Female bonobos find strength in numbers, teaming up to fend off males in the wild, a new study finds.

Along with chimpanzees, bonobos are among humans’ closest relatives. Scientists have long wondered why bonobos live in generally female-dominated societies since the males are physically bigger and stronger.

Three decades of observations in Congo — the only place the endangered bonobos are found in the wild — lend support to the idea of a sisterhood where female bonobos band together to assert their power.

These girl groups chased male bonobos out of trees, securing food for themselves, and females that grouped more ranked higher in their community’s social ladder, researchers found.

“It’s very clear that you don’t want to overstep as a male bonobo,” said study author Martin Surbeck from Harvard University.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/bonobos-form-girl-groups-fend-male-aggression-study-says-rcna202803

Women should take a leaf (pun intended) from these close relatives.

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Bonobos form girl groups to fend off male aggression, study says (Original Post) Jilly_in_VA 23 hrs ago OP
Makes sense to me Ritabert 22 hrs ago #1
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