Source: SFGate
“Female bonobos find strength in numbers, teaming up to fend off males in the wild, a new study finds. Along with chimpanzees, bonobos are among humans’ closest relatives. Scientists have long wondered why bonobos live in generally female-dominated societies since the males are physically bigger and stronger. Three decades of observations in Congo — the only place the endangered bonobos are found in the wild — lend support to the idea of a sisterhood where female bonobos band together to assert their power. These girl groups chased male bonobos out of trees, securing food for themselves, and females that grouped more ranked higher in their community’s social ladder, researchers found. ‘It’s very clear that you don’t want to overstep as a male bonobo,’ said study author Martin Surbeck from Harvard University. Findings were published Thursday in the journal Communications Biology.” (04/24/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/bonobos-in-congo-form-girl-groups-to-fend-off-20292360.php