Social dominance and reproductive patterns in brown hyaenas, Hyaena brunnea, of the central Kalahari desert

A 7-year study of brown hyaenas of the Central Kalahari, Botswana, showed a-separate, linear dominance hierarchy within each sex. The highest-ranking female shared equal rank with the alpha male, and she had the highest feeding time of all dan members. The immigrant alpha male was dominant over all other dan females and all natal males. The advantages of high rank for dan females were (1) increased feeding time at carcasses, (2) the opportunity to remain in the dan and rear cubs in the communal den, where non-parental provisioning was highly developed and (3) more offspring surviving to maturity. The advantages of high rank for males were (1) increased feeding time at carcasses and (2) more observed copulations than nomadic males had with females. The primary mating system observed was uni-male polygyny. Other behaviour patterns that indirectly and directly augment reproductive success were also observed for both sexes. Intense competition between females may have led to reduced sexual dimorphism in brown hyaenas. The differences between the social behaviour of brown hyaenas of the Central Kalahari and those of the Southern Kalahari may be based on environmental factors and diet. (C) 1996 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.