Females pair-bond with males partly for their locally inherited knowledge

Evidence

In chimpanzees, males remain in their home group (where they grew up) whereas females are generally immigrants. Analyses show that male chimpanzees tend to follow the foraging patterns of their mothers and may well have acquired tips about when and where to find food in their territory and how to extract it. Thus, by hanging out with a locally experienced male, females get access to his local knowledge (actually, his mom’s). In general, in a species with social learning skills in which females arrive from other groups, males have something to offer—local knowledge. This means that females should choose males who were particularly good social learners while growing up and then hang around them for extended periods (to learn). — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success, 982

Categorization

• recurring: this claim recurs 2 times within its source
• XREF: connects to: Bigger-brained species evolve longer childhoods to permit learning — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 957; Concealed ovulation forces male presence that solidifies paternal bonds — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 986; Rising male density lowers dominance payoffs and favors pair-bonding — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 980