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Most Primate Societies Lack Fixed Sex-Based Dominance

It draws on five years of behavioral records from 121 species to show that clear male dominance occurs in only about 20 percent of primate groups.

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Three female chimpanzees, which are one of the primates in which males dominate

Overview

  • Researchers analyzed five years of conflict outcomes from 253 primate populations to provide the first quantitative comparison of male–female dominance across 121 species.
  • Clear male dominance, defined as males winning over 90 percent of contests with females, was recorded in just 16–20 percent of the populations studied.
  • Female dominance of equivalent strength appeared in roughly 10–13 percent of groups, while the remaining 70 percent exhibited moderate or no fixed sex bias.
  • Intersexual aggression accounts for nearly half of all adult conflicts, revealing that fights between males and females are far more common than previously recognized.
  • Female hierarchies often stem from reproductive control and social leverage, with monogamy, size parity, arboreal habitats and resource competition shaping these power dynamics.