Definition
Relationships between two or more females that are based on mutual benefit
Introduction
When females have abundant resources, they birth more offspring and have more offspring survival than females who have limited resources (Mulder 1987). Allies who share a common goal are likely to share resources, so individuals who form alliances have a greater likelihood of survival and reproduction than individuals who do not form alliances (Chapais 1995). Female-female alliances are often formed for food competition, particularly among nonhuman primates, but alliances afford females a variety of advantages including physical protection, emotional support, and child care.
Benefits of Female-Female Alliances
Alliances increase reproductive fitness, or one’s ability to pass genes to subsequent generations, by enhancing one’s ability to secure and maintain resources. Food and...
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References
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Hurst, A.C. (2019). Female-Female Alliances. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2251-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2251-1
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