matriarchal
MAY-tree-ar-kuhl
Definition
A social system in which power and leadership are primarily held by women or, in the case of animals, by older females.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'mater' (mother) and the Greek 'arkhein' (to rule). It describes a system of social organization where the mother or female head of the family is the central authority.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe elephant society, highlighting that these animals live in complex groups led by females who maintain long-term social bonds.
Wild African elephants appear to call each other by individual names, after researchers who recorded hundreds of rumbling calls in Kenya found that when a recording was played back through a speaker, the elephant it was "addressed" to perked up and ans
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com