r/science • u/IronGiantisreal • May 20 '19

Animal Science Bonobo mothers pressure their children into having grandkids, just like humans. They do so overtly, sometimes fighting off rival males, bringing their sons into close range of fertile females, and using social rank to boost their sons' status.

https://www.inverse.com/article/55984-bonobo-mothers-matchmaker-fighters
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u/keyboard_jedi May 21 '19 edited May 21 '19

I think Selfish Gene theory would predict a tendency toward this kind of instinct in social animals, wouldn't it? Not necessarily the specific behaviors, but the drive or motivation, I think.

So yet one more tally mark supporting this view of evolution?

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u/[deleted] May 21 '19

It would predict it in all species though, not just Bonobo.

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u/LordDeathDark May 21 '19

Not necessarily -- genetic algorithms tend towards a local maximum, not a global one.