Why you need your own wolf pack.

It turns out it's not just fun to have ladyfriends: it's science.  Everybody really does need a pal to lick her wounds once in a while.

According to this article in The New York Times, "longlasting and mutually beneficial relationships between females turn out to be the basic unit of social life, the force that not only binds existing groups together but explains why the animals’ ancestors bothered going herd in the first place."  The article talks about how different kinds of female animals watch after each other's babies, groom each other, and check in with one another by making particular sounds (researchers liken it to texting one another "where are you?").

Photo by Gabriella Camerotti

Image via Pinterest

Image via Retronaut

Animals with strong female bonds bear more offspring, live longer, and have lower stress levels than those that don't.  Moral of the story: you really do need a wolf pack.

Image via The Economist

PS: Have you watched Girls yet?  Are you planning to?  What did you think?

I'm intrigued.  It's in my DVR queue.  I can't believe the creator/writer/director/star is only 25!