Maternal Inheritance of Rank

In many primate species, females acquire ranks in their group's dominance hierarchy that are immediately below their mothers, in effect inheriting their mother's rank. Sisters may also rank in reverse order of age. In these species, the status that a female attains depends primarily on social influences during development, rather than genetic factors. Youngsters first acquire their mother's rank among peers, probably through processes involving maternal social transmission and active intervention by mothers in infants' disputes. Older immature females subsequently target older lower-born females and are able to surpass them in rank, provided they have support from their mothers and/or other female kin. However, rank acquisition varies within and between species. Females may not inherit their mother's rank or may do so only initially, surpassing them later in life. Current explanations for variation focus on the availability and profitability of alliances in different contexts.