According to the Webster’s Dictionary, a matriarch is described as “a woman who is the head of a family or tribe,” but does it go beyond the title in elephants? Throughout history, elephants have stood as symbols as strength, wisdom and longevity. Demanding respect with their majestic frames, roaming in families that sometimes span three or more generations, Elephants are nothing but regal. Different species have diverse ways of caring of their young, but the elephant is the peak of captivation in their maternal characteristics. From the differences in the sexes of calves and their connection with their mother, to pack mentality or more specifically “all-mothering”, Elephants are unique. Unlike in other species, Elephants have an extremely
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Most of our research into Elephants behavior comes from Cindy Moss, who leads the Amboseli Elephant Research Project. This study is conducted by the AERP studying Elephant matriarchy, behaviors and traveling patterns in around 1,400 elephants that roam over approximately 3,000 miles. In an article written by the Washington Post, Moss was quoted in saying, “Our studies show how absolutely crucial matriarchs are to the well-being and success of the family,” she says. Living as a Fission- fusion populations, elephants families often fluxgate in size because the members, both split to migrate elsewhere and merge at later times. The research that Moss presents is fundamental for understanding the family relations, especially the matriarchy that is strongly exhibited in …show more content…
With the coming and goings of certain elephants in a group, researchers hypothesized on the actual genetic relation to the family. While most males go off to find their own way, juvenile females stick close to the group for longer periods of time, or permanently. While there is a great shuffling in the community, could it be possible that the family integrates on a regular, ever changing basis? Fecal collections obtained by Duke University confirmed that the closer the elephants were related coincided with an escalated pattern of association and
Most of our research into Elephants behavior comes from Cindy Moss, who leads the Amboseli Elephant Research Project. This study is conducted by the AERP studying Elephant matriarchy, behaviors and traveling patterns in around 1,400 elephants that roam over approximately 3,000 miles. In an article written by the Washington Post, Moss was quoted in saying, “Our studies show how absolutely crucial matriarchs are to the well-being and success of the family,” she says. Living as a Fission- fusion populations, elephants families often fluxgate in size because the members, both split to migrate elsewhere and merge at later times. The research that Moss presents is fundamental for understanding the family relations, especially the matriarchy that is strongly exhibited in …show more content…
With the coming and goings of certain elephants in a group, researchers hypothesized on the actual genetic relation to the family. While most males go off to find their own way, juvenile females stick close to the group for longer periods of time, or permanently. While there is a great shuffling in the community, could it be possible that the family integrates on a regular, ever changing basis? Fecal collections obtained by Duke University confirmed that the closer the elephants were related coincided with an escalated pattern of association and