Citation

Frank LG, Glickman SE, Licht P. Science 1991; 252(5006): 702-704.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley 94720.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, American Association for the Advancement of Science)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2024122

Abstract

Fatal neonatal sibling aggression is common in predatory birds but has not been previously reported in wild mammals. Spotted hyena females are strongly masculinized, both anatomically and behaviorally, apparently by high levels of androgens during ontogeny. Neonates display elevated androgen levels, precocial motor development, and fully erupted front teeth. Litters are usually twins, and siblings fight violently at birth, apparently leading to the death of one sibling in same-sex litters, whereas in mixed-sex litters both siblings usually survive.

Language: en