The Power of the Matriline: Grandmothers in Gorilla Society - Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

The Power of the Matriline: Grandmothers in Gorilla Society - Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

When we think about gorilla families, mothers are often the focus. They carry, nurse and protect their infants through the earliest years of life. But long-term research by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is revealing another important family member whose influence has largely gone unnoticed: the grandmother.Unlike humans, gorilla grandmothers do not always have the opportunity to know their grandchildren. Daughters often leave the group where they…