Gender in the Wild: Studies Show Gender Effect in Elephant Societies

ASSIGNMENT 2

“Paraphrasing/Summarizing”

Gender in the Wild: Studies Show Gender Effect in Elephant Societies

Young elephants grow up in large, organized groups that are mostly made up of females, including mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and female friends. This matriarchal system helps protect young orphan elephants when their mothers are killed by hunters or farmers. Other females then take over the role of the dead mother and raise the orphan. These bonds between females continue throughout their lives, which can last up to 70 years. Male elephants, on the other hand, stay with their female family members until they are 14 years old, after which they form groups with other males.

Previously, male elephants were thought to be less social than females. However, a study in Namibia's Etosha National Park shows that male elephants often form intense, long-lasting friendships with other males. The study found that elephants have a strict social hierarchy, and older males act as teachers and mediators for younger ones.

Gelada Study Reveals Female Primates with Power

Geladas are primates that live in the highlands of Ethiopia. In typical family units, there are between two and eight adult females, their offspring, and a primary male, which researchers call the family male. Female geladas have the real power in family groups, deciding where and how long to graze for food, when to move, and where to sleep. They also choose which male will be their mate and when it is time to replace that mate.

Young male geladas live in separate groups and spend most of their time observing family groups and looking for opportunities to challenge the family males. If a young male comes too close to a family, the family male chases him away. However, when it is time to replace a family male, the females invite a bachelor into the family. Hunter has observed that no family male lasts more than four years, and many are replaced before three. However, replaced males do not leave their families. Rather, they stay on in a kind of grandfather role.

Researchers Discover Gender-Driven Play in Chimps

A study in Uganda's Kibale National Park shows that young female chimps prefer to play with sticks as if they were practicing for motherhood, while young males prefer active play such as climbing, jumping, and chasing each other. Stick play may have evolved to prepare females for motherhood, providing them with skills and knowledge that contribute to their survival. It is also possible that stick play is just an expression of imagination, a skill found in chimps and humans but few other animals.

In summary, studies have shown that gender plays an important role in the behavior of elephants, geladas, and chimps. Females tend to have more power and control in family groups, while males form strong bonds with each other. These findings challenge previous assumptions and highlight the complex social dynamics of wild animal communities.