Female gorillas do not change groups randomly. They avoid the males they grew up with, thus preventing inbreeding, according to a study by the University of Zurich. Female gorillas use strategies similar to those of humans in their social behaviour, the University of Zurich (UZH) said in a press release on Wednesday. The authors based their study on data collected over 20 years by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund on several groups of wild mountain gorillas in Rwanda. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox According to the study, published in the British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, gorillas can change groups several times, a process known as dispersal. It plays an important role in preventing inbreeding, improving genetic diversity and maintaining social relationships. The study conducted by Victoire Martignac, a doctoral student at the UZH, shows that females do not join a community by chance. Previous social experiences play a role in their choice ...
