Leadership in elephants: the adaptive value of age

• Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Vol. 278; no. 1722; pp. 3270 - 3276
• Main Authors: McComb, Karen, Shannon, Graeme, Durant, Sarah M., Sayialel, Katito, Slotow, Rob, Poole, Joyce, Moss, Cynthia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Royal Society 07.11.2011
• Subjects: Acoustic Stimulation; Age Factors; Age structure; Animals; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Cognitive Abilities; decision making; defensive behavior; Elephants; Elephants - physiology; Female; Group Processes; Humans; Kenya; Leadership; Linear Models; Lions; Longevity; Loxodonta africana; Mammals; Materials; National parks; Observation; Playback Experiment; Population ecology; Predators; Social Behavior; Social Mammals; Kenya

The value of age is well recognized in human societies, where older individuals often emerge as leaders in tasks requiring specialized knowledge, but what part do such individuals play in other social species? Despite growing interest in how effective leadership might be achieved in animal social sy...