Spotted hyena daughters inherit rank and power from mothers: Study

A ‘terrific’ new study has found that the youngest daughter born to an alpha female spotted hyena inherits her mother’s social status and also benefits from better access to food, allies and breeding opportunities.

Published in Science Advances, the findings show that among hyenas, privilege is often inherited – not just genes, but resources and status from parents.

Over generations, these benefits accumulate, allowing a few privileged female lineages to produce more descendants.

The findings challenge traditional evolutionary theories that assume males always face greater reproductive competition, researchers said.