Christine Drea, professor of evolutionary anthropology and biology at Duke University, explains the social hierarchy of hyenas and how scientist test their intelligence

Some of the world’s top animal behaviorists are leading a groundbreaking study of lions and hyenas for the Smithsonian Channel series Killer IQ: Lions vs. Hyena.

Lions and spotted hyenas are pitted against each other in a series of intellectual challenges. The experiments reveal the secrets of predator success and how living in a complex social group might help to make a species smarter.

Guest host Phoebe Judge talks with Christine Drea, professor of evolutionary anthropology and biology at Duke University, about hyenas' social hierarchy and how to test their intelligence.

NPR's Barbara J. King wrote an article in 2013 that shows the IQ of hyenas may offer clues to the evolution of human's past.

Preview part of Killer IQ: Lions vs. Hyena by watching the video below: