Social interactions are an important part of the daily life of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta); they build coalitions, quarrel and reconcile, and compete for food and mates (image © Eve Davidian). In Davidian et al.’s study, “The interplay between social rank, physiological constraints and investment in courtship in male spotted hyenas” (https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13733), the authors found that male‐male competition incurs high physiological costs to males at the bottom of the hierarchy, preventing them from investing in fitness‐enhancing social and sexual activities. The study highlights the key role of physiological and social constraints on the emergence of reproductive skew in group‐living animals.

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封面图片和发行信息

社交互动是斑鬣狗（Crocuta crocuta）日常生活的重要组成部分；他们建立联盟，吵架和解，争夺食物和伴侣（图片©Eve Davidian）。在Davidian等人的研究“男性斑点鬣狗的社会地位，生理限制和求爱投资之间的相互作用”（https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13733）中，作者发现男性-男性竞争会在等级制度的最底层给男性带来高昂的生理成本，从而使他们无法投资于增强健康的社交和性活动。这项研究强调了生理和社会制约因素对成群生活动物繁殖偏斜出现的关键作用。