Citation
Matriarchs as repositories of social knowledge in African elephants
TL;DR
Older matriarchs (55+ years) have superior social discrimination abilities
This landmark study demonstrated empirically that older elephant matriarchs serve as repositories of social knowledge critical for group survival. Groups led by older matriarchs showed superior ability to discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar individuals, and had higher reproductive success.
The finding has direct implications for organizational design: institutional memory requires deliberate preservation through 'elders' who have experienced past cycles, whether through board composition, advisory roles, or documentation systems.
Key Findings from McComb et al. (2001)
- Older matriarchs (55+ years) have superior social discrimination abilities
- Groups with older matriarchs had higher reproductive success
- Knowledge of past conditions (drought survival, social relationships) transmits across generations through matriarchs