Do female hyaenas choose mates based on tenure?/Höner et al. reply

Nature 448, 798-801 (2007) In their investigation into whether female mate-choice drives male dispersal, Höner et al.1 argue that female spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) prefer mates whose tenure in the social group is less than the females' age, to avoid paternal incest, and suggest that male dispersal reflects this preference. Furthermore, Fig. 1 and related analyses of Höner et al.1 may derive from female preference for immigrants2, coupled with age differences between natal females and immigrant males. No: the reproductive success of natal males during their reproductive tenure1 did not differ from the mean reproductive success of their immediate immigrant male predecessor and successor during the same duration of tenure (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, n = 12, exact P = 0.148, power = 0.35). Sexual conflicts in spotted hyenas: male and female mating tactics and their reproductive outcome with respect to age, social status and tenure.