What Can the Animals Teach Us About Social Relationships?

Having friends benefits us in many ways: we receive information and help, if needed, and we collaborate with our friends to solve complex problems. Wild animals also rely on social relationships. Have you ever thought about what we can learn from animals about our own social networks? The spotted hyena and the rock hyrax are two species that can teach us about the ecology and evolution of social relationships. Scientists have discovered that an individual’s position in the social network affects their chances of survival, reproduction, and contracting diseases. So how do groups maintain their social structures over time? In this study, we describe a process called social inheritance that provides the first clue. In this process, offspring inherit their social connections from their parents. We found that social inheritance depends on parent’s traits, and it may help to maintain the stability of social groups.