Calves function as social magnets in a species with high fission-fusion dynamics, the Asian elephant

Calf presence in wild Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) is linked to larger female groups and stronger adult-female associations, with adult, young adult, and subadult counts 2–2.5-fold higher.

• Why it matters: Fission-fusion societies can restrict repeated social contact, but offspring may require cooperation; it was unclear whether calves actually promote female sociality in this context.
• What they did: Over 9 years, the study used nearly 5900 female group sightings in southern India to test whether calf presence predicted group size and social associations via social network analysis.
• The result: Adult females formed more numerous and stronger associations when calves were present, and females without dependent offspring were also more common, implying calves may support allomaternal care and collective defense.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.