RP295 The Most Social Animals

 RP295 The Most Social Animals

Human beings aren't the only animals to form social groups. Around the world, other animals live according to complex social orders.

Meerkats are small mammals that share almost everything. They live in colonies of 20 to 30, in which the lives of all the members are connected. Meerkats share duties, taking turns to search for food and guard the home. A meerkat that is on guard will bark to alert the others of danger. It will be the first to leave the den to check to see if danger has left. Though usually only one pair at a time will mate, other members of the colony will babysit and teach the pups. Meerkats have learned to survive against fierce predators by working together.

Killer whales, on the other hand, are fierce predators that work together. Killer whales live in families which can group together to form pods. Pod members communicate with clicks, calls, and other vocalizations. Each pod has its own dialect of sounds, which are taught to calves after they are born. Adults also teach calves how to hunt by weakening seals and allowing the calves to chase them. Adults and calves also practice other skills. Like meerkats, orcas share the duty of caring for the calves of the pod, even disciplining calves that aren't their own.

Bonobos, also called dwarf chimpanzees, are one of our closest relatives and exhibit many human emotions. Social status is very important to them. Females generally have higher status than males, and mother bonobos will try to pass social status on to their sons to protect them. Mother-son bonds last for a lifetime. Bonobos will attack intruders on their territory, and groups of males sometimes patrol for these threats, protecting their groups.

Human societies may be larger, more technologically advanced, and stronger. However, we are definitely not the only creatures that rely on communities to survive.