位置1的问题 In hyena societies, there is a strict hierarchy with a dominant female. The dominance is achieved by a strange anatomical different where the female has an enlarged clitoris that can control who she copulates with. Based on the material presented in the Module, the best explanation for how the female in this society achieved dominance by:Creating alliances Being the choosy sexCoercionPhysical prowess单项选择题
A
Creating alliances
B
Being the choosy sex
C
Coercion
D
Physical prowess

Question

位置1的问题 In hyena societies, there is a strict hierarchy with a dominant female. The dominance is achieved by a strange anatomical different where the female has an enlarged clitoris that can control who she copulates with. Based on the material presented in the Module, the best explanation for how the female in this society achieved dominance by:Creating alliances Being the choosy sexCoercionPhysical prowess单项选择题

A

Creating alliances

B

Being the choosy sex

C

Coercion

D

Physical prowess

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Being the choosy sex explains how female hyenas achieve dominance: by anatomically and behaviorally controlling mating, females exert sexual selection that translates into social power.

1) Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Sexual selection: often one sex (the choosy sex) controls mate choice, influencing reproductive success and social dynamics.
- Morphological and hormonal masculinization: in spotted hyenas, females develop an enlarged clitoris (pseudo-penis) and elevated androgens, affecting behavior and anatomy.
- Social dominance: control over mating and reproduction can confer status, resources, and influence within a group.

2) Step-by-step reasoning
- The enlarged clitoris is a functional anatomical trait that gives female hyenas direct physical control over copulation mechanics and timing.
- With control over who and when copulation occurs, females can preferentially mate with certain males and exclude others.
- This mate choice alters reproductive success distribution: chosen males gain reproductive opportunities while excluded males do not.
- Because reproductive access is a core currency in social mammals, the ability to restrict or grant mating elevates the chooser’s social leverage.
- Over evolutionary time, selection favors females who can enforce choice (via anatomy and associated behaviors), solidifying female dominance in the social hierarchy.

3) Intermediate “steps” (conceptual rather than numerical)
- Anatomy (enlarged clitoris) → behavioral control of mating → selective mating decisions → unequal reproductive payoffs → increased social power and dominance.

4) Why the correct answer is correct
Being the choosy sex captures the causal chain: morphological adaptation allows females to select mates, and that selective power translates into social dominance. The phrase matches the description “can control who she copulates with” directly.

5) Why other options are incorrect
- Creating alliances: coalition-building can confer dominance in some species, but the prompt emphasizes an anatomical adaptation enabling individual control of mating, not coalition dynamics.
- Coercion: coercion implies forcing others to mate; here the female controls access to herself rather than forcing males, so coercion is not the mechanism described.
- Physical prowess: physical strength could produce dominance, but the specific mechanism given is reproductive control via genital morphology, not brute force.

6) Conclusion
The best explanation is Being the choosy sex, which matches the provided answer.

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