In the animal world, hyena has been condemned by more shameful lies than sloth . They are considered to be the thugs of nature—denied throughout history, culture, and continent as stupid cowards, hiding in the back alleys, waiting for an opportunity to rob other nobler animals for their supper.
Among the four types of hyenas, the largest, most widely distributed and most easily misunderstood is spotted hyenas . This so-called laughing hyena may not be the most beautiful animal. But our contempt is more than superficial; it is a private matter.
The dazzling biological part of the hyena is the culprit. This is an animal that looks and hunts like a dog, but is actually an enhanced member of the mongoose family and therefore has a closer relationship with the cat. In several versions of his book "The Natural System", , zoologist Carl Linnae first classified hyenas as cats and later as dogs. He never did it right.
What is more puzzling than what animal is a hyena is its basic problem of gender. Zoologists say: "This is a vulgar concept. Hyena itself has two genders. One year is male and the next year is female." Zoologist is not the first - nor the last - who proposes that hyena is hermaphrodite. Rumors prevail in African folklore, and zoologists debate it. But while modern science has identified more than 65,000 known trans species, hyena is not one of them.
Field research found that lions actually steal more prey from spotted hyenas and vice versa.
The idea of a hyena spending time sneaking away from a more "noble" animal like a lion is another misunderstanding. Field research found that lions actually stole more prey from spotted hyenas and vice versa. However, the hostility between animals is very real: these two species are old enemies, struggling in a battle for territory and food. While lions may have a body size advantage, hyena makes up for it with wisdom. As Holekamp said, “a lion is not the sharpest tool in a shed.”
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In order to find out the truth, zoologists invented the world's first carnivore IQ test - a metal puzzle box with carnivore inside, which can only be released through the brain, not the physical strength. It slams her puzzle box in front of various predators from polar bear to black panthers to measure their ability to solve problems. It found that well-behaved animals tend to share a rich social life and believed that social abilities could be an evolutionary force that leads to the hyenas’ intellectual superiority.
Spotted Hyenas gather in a social group larger than any other carnivore – their group can accommodate up to 130 people and they are observed to defend up to 620 square miles of territory.
Clans live for a living, everything they do is associated with the female dominance that supports it, but they are not always together. Instead, they spend most of their time in smaller separatist groups that unite for fighting, hunting, or foraging.
The big brains of the hyena allow them to recall the voices and status of each member, ensuring that they have a political mind to identify friends and enemies and negotiate strict social hierarchies.
The hyena's brain has evolved to remember the identity and rank of each clan member . They also seem to be able to recall the voice and status of each member throughout their lives—a feat of cognition, and to ensure that they have political minds, both able to identify friends and enemies in a single call, and negotiate their strict social hierarchy without endless conflict.Zoologists found that hyenas responded differently, depending on whether they heard the call of one member, two member or three member.
Ultimately, the extraordinary success of hyenas in knocking down large prey, intimidating lions and raising young people in harsh environments depends on their teamwork ability.
zoologist field investigations showed that the social structure of spotted hyenas is as complex as that of baboon . CT scans confirmed that the evolutionary direction of the hyeena brain is similar to that of primates, and the area involving complex decisions has expanded. They even surpassed chimpanzees in some tests that collaborate on problem solving.
