This piece from NPR’s All Things Considered shares research being done at a bonobo sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Both bonobos and chimpanzees are the closest living relatives of humans – but the social dynamics in bonobo and chimp social structures are noticeably different.
While chimps tend to be more male-dominated and aggressive, bonobos place a higher social status on females. According to the NPR piece, “Chimps tend to rely on cunning and competition. Bonobos emphasize cooperation and sharing.” In addition, research has shown that “bonobo brains include special circuits for social interaction that are not found in chimpanzees. The result is an animal predisposed to sharing, tolerance, negotiation and cooperation.”
Sounds like Bonobo matriarchies are the way to go!