
Low-status chimps revealed as trendsetters - myrloc
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/low-status-chimps-revealed-trendsetters
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jelliclesfarm
Past studies have shown that in ape society, males are hierarchical and
females are mostly egalitarian..low status males who stay behind as the alpha
male and party goes to hunt/forage sometimes end up impregnating the females.
The cuckolded alpha male would never know. Female pregnant apes will also
spontaneously abort if a new group of alpha males enters and ousts the
prevailing alpha. This is called the Bruce effect. Pregnancy and birth is
highly expensive to females and they will do their best to conserve energy and
resources. Males place a high value on investing in their own offsprings and
it behooves the females to hedge her bets if alpha males get killed or ousted
when a new group comes in..Alphas get cuckolded all the time because they are
violent and always at risk of being ousted by rival alpha ape in group or from
outside...no one knows who is father except the mother. And often the lower
status males are a good bet because they are less likely to get killed. And
they will take care of their offsprings. Ape studies are fascinating.

