Hi, this is Kate from MinuteEarth. And this is Scarface, one of the hyenas I
studied in Kenya; and like all male spotted hyenas, his life sucks. Babyhood is actually the pinnacle of a male
hyena’s life. Itty-bitty cubs of both sexes rank just below
their moms, who make up the entire top of the clan's social hierarchy – more on that
later. So cubs have decent access to food, sleeping
spots, and everything else. But male cubs’ glory days are short. Females generally don’t like mating with
males from the clan they grew up in - it’s probably nature’s way of avoiding inbreeding. So once males turn two or so, they leave their
clan and strike out on a lonely, dangerous search for a clan with better mating prospects. Lots of other mammalian males do the same
thing, but for them, the transition to a new group is an opportunity to challenge high-ranking
individuals and increase their social standing. Not so for male hyenas. They endure aggressive hazing by the new clan
before even being allowed to join, and once a male does gain acceptance, he becomes the
very lowest-ranking hyena in the pecking...er...bone-cracking order. The tastiest food rarely makes its way down
to him, and there’s no way to move up the social hierarchy besides simply waiting: either
for new males to join the clan below him or for males ahead of him to die. No adult male will ever top a single female,
resulting in a female-dominated hierarchy. This is all...weird; unlike most mammals,
male hyenas are subordinate to females. Which is probably because, unlike most mammals,
female hyenas are bigger and meaner than males, which is probably thanks to their need to
stand up for their offspring in this kind of crazy feeding frenzy. And unlike pretty much all mammals, physically
fit or socially capable individuals can’t make their way to the top of hyena society
to do most of the decision- and baby-making. They’re the only social mammals we know
of with such a rigid hierarchy, and we don’t yet know why. We do know the outcome, though. Male hyenas like Scarface end up plagued with
injuries from harassment & hazing, endure prematurely worn-down teeth from eating too
many bones, and on average, only live as half as long females do. The best they can hope for is that, at the
end of the day, they’ll have left behind a few cubs - which is not the best for the
ones that turn out to be males. While I was getting my PhD, I spent several
years in Kenya studying hyenas like Scarface. And the rest of the MinuteEarth team has done
amazing research and explored all sorts of cool places, too. To find out about the adventures of the MinuteEarth
team, learn how we make videos, and ask us your burning questions, join us for an livestreamed
q&a on our Patreon page at Patreon.com/MinuteEarth - we’ll put the details below. While you’re there, consider becoming a
Patron; just a dollar a video from you means we won’t have to resort to gnawing on bones
to survive.
This video's a bit outdated and contains a few misconceptions.
Firstly, female hyenas are not significantly bigger or stronger than males. They'll often be heavier because of their better access to food, but it isn't an inherent thing. They as a species have almost no sexual dimorphism at all.
Second, adult male hyenas can hold high rank within a clan. Some will choose not to migrate to a new clan, and stay in the one they were born in, in which case they'll retain their birth rank. Male leaders of mixed-gender hyena clans have been observed rarely in the wild.
Third, recent research has shown that the rigid hierarchy of hyena societies is based entirely around networking and social support; the hyena with the most close friends and allies within a clan will lead it. Whether a hyena is dominant or submissive in an interaction with another hyena is entirely based on which one would gain more support from the clan in a fight. This is why cubs inherit rank, because they have their mother and their mother's allies to back them up.
One of the biggest differences between hyenas and wolves mentally is that hyena A can understand how hyena B feels about hyena C, but wolf A can't understand how wolf B feels about wolf C. This allows the formation of cliques and webs of alliances and rivalries within a 100-member hyena clan, and allows each hyena to understand the whole web and their place within it, and which side each other hyena would take in any given internal conflict.
Some hyena clans have two rival cliques that are very close in number, and these clans experience coups fairly frequently, where a matriarch is overthrown and another installed.
Sources:
very little sexual dimorphism: https://hyena-project.com/hyenas/
male-led clan: https://hyena-project.com/the-clans/shamba-comeback-kids/
Social support and alliances determine hierarchy: https://hyena-project.com/2018/11/22/friends-over-muscles-how-female-hyenas-came-to-dominate-males/
recognizing third-party relationships: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_hyena#Social_behaviour
clan with frequent coups d'etat: https://hyena-project.com/the-clans/munge-the-revolutionists/
I can relate. My wife beats me regularly in front of the kids.
Well, it sucks to be in general.
maybe it has to do with the female hyena rupturing her large penis like clit to give birth
Male hyena: can I stay in the pa...
The pack: no
I can relate i identify as a male hyena
There is a theory that this is due to female hyenas having a pseudo penis. Therefore, female hyenas have greater control of the reproductive cycle: they are the one choosing the mate while it cannot be vice versa.
sucks to be a male human too I feel you mr hyena
MinuteEARTH? That gave me chills! Instant subscribe.