Female Chimps With Powerful Moms Are Less Likely to Leave Home
Duke and North Carolina State researchers have recently found that female chimpanzees with high-ranking mothers are more likely to be homebodies. Chimps are unusual among mammals in that daughters, not sons, typically pick up their roots at puberty and move away from their families. However, this study suggests that the perks of having a powerful mom can make it worthwhile for some females to stay and reproduce in the same group where they grew up, despite the risks of inbreeding with male relatives.
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.