Citation
Noninvasive stress and reproductive measures of social and ecological pressures in free-ranging African elephants
TL;DR
Groups with matriarchs who survived 1958-1961 drought had better 1993 drought responses
This study extended the findings on elephant matriarchs by demonstrating survival advantages during actual drought conditions. Groups with matriarchs who survived the 1958-1961 drought were more likely to leave parks during the 1993 drought and had higher calf survival.
This provides direct evidence that cultural memory of rare events (droughts occurring decades apart) transmits across generations and provides measurable survival advantages - the biological foundation for organizational institutional memory systems.
Key Findings from Foley et al. (2008)
- Groups with matriarchs who survived 1958-1961 drought had better 1993 drought responses
- Cultural memory spans 30+ years across drought events
- Higher calf survival in groups led by drought-experienced matriarchs