Spotted Hyena

Spotted hyenas live in matrilineal clans where females dominate males absolutely—even the lowest-ranking female outranks the highest-ranking male. This female dominance creates a unique social system where rank inheritance, coalition formation, and communication patterns all differ from male-dominated societies.

Whoop calls encode individual identity. Each hyena's whoop has distinctive acoustic features that allow individual recognition over distances exceeding 5 kilometers. This long-distance identity signaling enables clan coordination across their large territories without constant proximity.

Rank affects call production. High-ranking females whoop more frequently than low-ranking ones, and their calls are answered more often. The communication system reflects and reinforces the dominance hierarchy. Subordinates may avoid calling to prevent attracting attention from dominants.

Giggling indicates submission and appeasement. The famous hyena 'laugh' is actually a submission signal given by subordinates during conflicts. The acoustic properties encode caller identity and arousal level. Dominants receive more giggles than subordinates give—another acoustic reflection of hierarchy.

For organizations, spotted hyenas demonstrate how communication patterns both reflect and reinforce power structures. Who speaks, who responds, and whose signals are acknowledged all indicate and solidify hierarchy.