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Nice Hyenas Finish First in Mating Game

Female hyenas are a soft sell: They favor males who take a gentle approach to mating over those who are aggressive. New research published in the Royal Society's FirstCite journal shows that making friends with the ladies increases male hyenas' reproductive success.

Researchers led by Marion East of the Max Plank Institute for Behavioral Physiology used genetic tests to determine which males fathered the most pups within a hyena clan. They then matched up romance strategy to paternity success. Male hyenas who harassed or dominated females in an attempt to mate rarely fathered young, the researchers found.

Males who took the time to groom, greet, and otherwise make friendly gestures toward females were much more successful at mating. Males who stuck around for at least four years also sired more than five times as many litters as males who left within two years. The results of the study runs counter to the assumption that females seek strong, dominant males to father their young.

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