Why female lemurs are big bullies
Why female lemurs are big bullies
May 15, 2015
Eric Hopton for redOrbit.com
Males in some species of lemurs get a tough time. Their girls get to the food first and will snatch the fruit from a male’s hand and sometimes even bite them. The males just have to wait for the leftovers.
A recent study by the Duke University Lemur Center found that a good helping of testosterone apparently helps lemur females rule the roost. These distant primate cousins of ours reverse the animal kingdom’s normal gender roles in which males rule.
“If a male lemur is enjoying a patch of sunlight, for example, a female is likely to push him aside and take his spot,” said Joseph Petty, most recently a doctoral student at Duke.
Read more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1113391760/why-female-lemurs-are-big-bullies-051515/#5yMK88xjCQwfOMfZ.99