Fission-fusion dynamics within a herd can be influenced by an individual social preference; however, when two wild giraffes show any preference between peers, it can be hard to identify how individuals relate. It is unclear why female giraffes have similar social structures. However, they do share similar aspects of their life history, ecology, and behavior. .
The findings in Carter et al. (2012, p. 389) showed that males do not form nonrandom associations while females do form nonrandom associations. Also, adult males did not show preference to associate with other males. Giraffe pairs living in similar areas came into contact more often controlling kinship, while others did not show a significant amount of spatial overlap, which suggest to the possibility of avoidance behavior (Carter, et al., 2012, p. 389).
In the study of Carter et al. (2012, p. 391) the food resources were widely separated in the National Park. As a result, there was a lack of aggression between mature females. Also, the park had different flowering, fruiting, trees, and shrubs that provided food resources and water resources (Carter, et al., 2013, p. 907). The lack of aggression could have also have benefited the relationships giraffes have with each other to obtain knowledge about food resources and how to detect predators (Carter, et al., 2013, p. 907). In addition, the association between relatives decreases the competition for resources (Carter, et al., 2012, p. 391). .
The relationship between a pair of female individuals was somewhat explained by spatial overlap and kinship, but this circumstances did not explain all of the different interaction patterns observed (Carter, et al., 2012, p. 390). Bercovitch and Berry (2013, p. 284) supported the idea that relationships between a pair of female individuals are related to kinship. In their finding, they discovered how the relation between mother and daughter formed a strong social association, and then was carried into adulthood benefiting their herd composition.