Friendship is the foundation of society for hyenas
Image courtesy of Steve Jurvetson, Flickr.
Digital Reporter
Saturday, May 16, 2015, 8:35 AM - It's the key to networking, social media fame, and avoiding uncomfortable conversations at social gatherings.
Making mutual friends (or any friends at all) is a skill humans continue to struggle with -- hyenas, on the other hand, not so much.
Friendship is the foundation of society for spotted hyenas, who have an innate ability to create lasting relationships through a "triad of friends," according to a report in the monthly, peer-reviewed scientific journal, Ecology Letters.
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The four-legged mammals live in large clans of up to 100 other hyenas, and pack members are selective about their company, forming close bonds with only certain other members of the group: the friends of their friends.
Researchers who drafted the report conclude that the ability to form lasting friendships is the key to maintaining social structure among hyenas, Science Magazine reports.
Scientists analyzed the social interactions among more than 50,000 spotted hyenas in Kenya's Maasai Mara National reserve, over a 20-year period.
According to Science Daily, spotted hyenas are the most common large carnivore in Africa and are known for their "socially sophisticated" character.
Image courtesy of Steve Jurvetson, Flickr.
SOURCES: Science Magazine | National Geographic | Science Daily
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