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Sexual mimicry in hyenas
Martin N Muller1, Richard Wrangham
1Department of Anthropology, Peabody Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. muller@fas.harvard.edu
The Quarterly Review of Biology
|April 20, 2002
Summary
Female spotted hyenas exhibit genital masculinization, challenging the androgen hypothesis. Sexual mimicry may offer protection against aggression from other females, particularly in infants.
Area of Science:
- Zoology
- Behavioral Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Genital masculinization in female spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) has been traditionally attributed to high androgen levels, linked to adaptive aggressive behaviors.
- This hypothesis is challenged by evidence of masculinization occurring independently of androgenic steroids, necessitating a new explanation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and investigate an alternative hypothesis for genital masculinization in female spotted hyenas.
- To explore the potential adaptive significance of sexual mimicry in female spotted hyenas.
Main Methods:
- The study reviews existing data and proposes a novel hypothesis based on morphological and behavioral observations.
- It considers the potential protective benefits of male-like genitalia in various social contexts.
Main Results:
- Genital masculinization in female spotted hyenas involves detailed physical resemblance to male genitalia, not just general masculinization.
- The proposed sexual mimicry hypothesis suggests this trait may confer protection against aggression from other females.
Conclusions:
- The incidental androgenization hypothesis is no longer tenable.
- Sexual mimicry is proposed as a more fitting explanation for female genital masculinization in spotted hyenas.
- This mimicry may provide protection against conspecific aggression, with the strongest effects observed in infants.