Female gorillas use feminist networks

Female gorillas use similar social behavior strategies to humans, according to a newsletter published by the University of Zurich (UZH) on Wednesday. This is because strong bonds between different social groups are also a key aspect of human societies. An extensive network of relationships appears to have played a key evolutionary role in the development of larger and more cooperative societies.

According to the UZH researchers, gorilla individuals can change their group membership several times. This process, known as dispersal, plays an important role in avoiding inbreeding, improving genetic diversity and maintaining social relationships. The researchers based their findings on 20 years of data collected by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund on several groups of wild mountain gorillas in Rwanda.

New group no coincidence

The study shows that females do not join a community by chance. Previous social experiences play a role in their choice: the females avoid males they have grown up with and look for females they already know. This is because the probability that males from their birth group are related to them is higher than for other males.

Even more important, however, is the presence of other females with whom they have previously lived together. These relationships appear to be important even after years of separation. Familiar acquaintances would reduce anxiety when entering a new group.

And if a female joins a community on the recommendation of a friend, this is also a positive sign for the group as a whole or for the dominant male who leads it. Investments in such feminist relationships are therefore important in gorillas.

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Zurich and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.