Social cooperation in hyenas

A new study shows that hyenas might be more socially cooperative than chimps, who have all been seen as such. Pairs of captive spotted hyenas that needed to tug each at one rope at the same time to recieve food, learned to do so quickly and with no training. A pair of hyenas figured out it out in less than two minutes.When chimps try to do a similar things, they often need extensive training and are not very succesful in cooperating.

Social carnivores such as hyenas may be better at cooperative problem solving, because of their survival by group hunting in the wild. Their cooperation is also affected by the group interaction. Two surbordinate hyenas as well as a subordinate and a dominant hyena can work together, but two dominant hyenas will not cooperate. Also, an experienced hyena will help an unexperienced hyena to figure out the problem. Finally, the hyenas solving the problem would do it faster if there was an audience of hyenas watching them.

So, though chimps might be seen as smarter in cognitive functioning, it seems that hyenas may be more socially cooperative.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928131032.htm


-Černa Kočka