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Vee S, Borries C, Larney E, Koenig A. Costs and benefits of allomaternal care to mothers and others in wild Phayre's leaf monkeys. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024:e25035. [PMID: 39351869 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.25035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 08/09/2024] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 10/03/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Allomaternal care (AMC) is suggested to be energetically beneficial to mothers and costly to allomothers. However, among primates, AMC is a heterogeneous phenomenon and its implications are less clear especially in female dispersal species. Here, we investigated infant care in a female dispersal species, Phayre's leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus phayrei crepusculus), to evaluate whether mothers were constrained by infant care and benefitted energetically from AMC, whether AMC was energetically costly for allomothers and how maternal experience was associated with AMC. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data were collected via instantaneous focal animal sampling between 2004 and 2005 for juvenile and adult females (N = 18) from two groups at the Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand (440 h). We used generalized linear mixed models to determine how infant care during the first month after birth affected the time mothers and allomothers spent feeding, socializing, resting, and locomoting and how AMC varied. RESULTS In the first month, infants spent 26% of their time with an allomother. We found no differences in mothers' overall activity before versus after birth, although mothers fed significantly more and rested less when without their infant. Allomothers fed and rested less when with an infant. AMC varied between 0.0% and 20.5%, with immature females being most active. DISCUSSION Mothers appear to benefit energetically from AMC such that their overall activity after birth remained unchanged. Costs and benefits for allomothers seem to be variable. Some very active immature females may be benefitting from learning-to-mother. The overall low cost of AMC may facilitate a reciprocal social network among unrelated females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Vee
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution, SUNY Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Carola Borries
- Department of Anthropology, SUNY Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, SUNY Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Eileen Larney
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, SUNY Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory, Ashland, Oregon, USA
| | - Andreas Koenig
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution, SUNY Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Department of Anthropology, SUNY Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, SUNY Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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2
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Giannetti-Domínguez AD, Rangel-Negrín A, Coyohua-Fuentes A, Dias PAD. Leadership and the finder's advantage in mantled howler monkeys. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23651. [PMID: 38804875 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Leading collective movements and arriving first at feeding sites may improve food acquisition. Specifically, the first individual to discover and exploit a feeding site may gain a feeding advantage known as the "finder's advantage." The aim of this research was to verify if the probability of leading group movements to feeding sites in mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) varied by sex and reproductive status, and whether finders had higher foraging success than followers. We studied 18 adult individuals from two groups in La Flor de Catemaco over a year (978 h), and sampled group movements (n = 211) and foraging behavior (n = 215 feeding episodes). Gestating females were leaders and finders of group movements to feeding sites more often than expected but were also replaced in the leading position more frequently than individuals of other sex/reproductive states. Feeding behavior was not influenced by the order of arrival at feeding sites per se, but gestating females had higher food intake rate, bite rate, and feeding time when arriving earlier (i.e., occupying front group positions) than later. Therefore, leadership and the finder's advantage occur in this species and are probably employed by gestating females to maintain their energetic condition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ariadna Rangel-Negrín
- Primate Behavioral Ecology Lab, Instituto de Neuro-etología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, México
| | - Alejandro Coyohua-Fuentes
- Primate Behavioral Ecology Lab, Instituto de Neuro-etología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, México
| | - Pedro A D Dias
- Primate Behavioral Ecology Lab, Instituto de Neuro-etología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, México
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Konečná M, Roubová V, Wallner B, Lhota S. The Effect of Maternal Status on Time Budget in Female Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus). INT J PRIMATOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-023-00360-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
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4
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A systematic review of sex differences in rough and tumble play across non-human mammals. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03260-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
It is widely believed that juvenile male mammals typically engage in higher rates of rough and tumble play (RTP) than do females, in preparation for adult roles involving intense physical competition between males. The consistency of this sex difference across diverse mammalian species has, however, not yet been systematically investigated, limiting our current understanding of its possible adaptive function. This review uses narrative synthesis to (i) evaluate the ubiquity of male-biased RTP across non-human mammals, (ii) identify patterns of variation within and between taxonomic groups, and (iii) propose possible predictors of variation in these differences, including methodological and socio-ecological factors, for investigation by future studies. We find that most species studied do exhibit higher rates or RTP in males than females, while female-biased RTP is rare. Sex differences are smaller and less consistent than expected, with many studies finding similar rates of RTP in males and females. We identify multiple potential socio-ecological predictors of variation in sex differences in RTP, such as intrasexual competition and dietary niche. However, variation is not strongly phylogenetically patterned, suggesting that methodological and environmental factors, such as sample size and play partner availability, are important to consider in future comparative analyses.
Significance statement
Rough and tumble play (RTP) is thought to be vital for developing physical skills necessary for aggressive competition in adulthood, explaining an apparently widespread sex difference in RTP in mammals whereby immature males are more likely to engage in this behaviour than females. However, no prior study has systematically investigated the extent to which a male bias in RTP is consistent across diverse mammalian species. We find that although RTP is commonly male biased, findings were highly variable both within- and between-species, and equal participation in RTP by males and females is more common than widely assumed. Our review suggests several potential predictors of variation in sex differences in RTP, particularly levels of intrasexual competition in both males and females. However, our findings also suggest the importance of considering methodological in addition to socio-ecological factors for future research.
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Xu S, Zhang S, Hu X, Zhang B, Yang S, Hu X, Liu S, Hu D, Bai J. Temporal and spatial dynamics of gastrointestinal parasite infection in Père David's deer. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11335. [PMID: 33996283 PMCID: PMC8106392 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) population was established from only a small number of individuals. Their genetic diversity is therefore relatively low and transmissible (parasitic) diseases affecting them merit further attention. Parasitic infections can affect the health, survival, and population development of the host. However, few reports have been published on the gastrointestinal parasites of Père David's deer. The aims of this study were: (1) to identify the intestinal parasites groups in Père David's deer; (2) to determine their prevalence and burden and clarify the effects of different seasons and regions on various indicators of Père David's deer intestinal parasites; (3) to evaluate the effects of the Père David's deer reproductive period on these parasites; (4) to reveal the regularity of the parasites in space and time. Methods In total, 1,345 Père David's deer faecal samples from four regions during four seasons were tested using the flotation (saturated sodium nitrate solution) to identify parasites of different genus or group, and the McMaster technique to count the number of eggs or oocysts. Results Four groups of gastrointestinal parasites were found, of which strongyles were dominant; their prevalence and burden were significantly higher than other groups. Significant temporal and spatial effects on gastrointestinal parasitic infection were found. Parasite diversity, prevalence, parasite burden, and aggregation were the highest in summer. Among the four regions, parasite diversity, prevalence, and burden were the highest in the Dongting Lake area. In addition, parasite diversity and burden during the reproductive period of Père David's deer was significantly higher than during the post-reproductive period. Conclusions The summer season and the reproductive period of Père David's deer had great potential for parasite transmission, and there is a high risk of parasite outbreaks in the Dongting Lake area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanghua Xu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Shumiao Zhang
- Department of Research, Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolong Hu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Baofeng Zhang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuang Yang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Hu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Captive Wildlife Technologies, Beijing Zoo, Beijing, China
| | - Shuqiang Liu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Defu Hu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiade Bai
- Department of Research, Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, Beijing, China
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Nadell JA, Elton S, Kovarovic K. Ontogenetic and morphological variation in primate long bones reflects signals of size and behavior. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 174:327-351. [PMID: 33368154 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Many primates change their locomotor behavior as they mature from infancy to adulthood. Here we investigate how long bone cross-sectional geometry in Pan, Gorilla, Pongo, Hylobatidae, and Macaca varies in shape and form over ontogeny, including whether specific diaphyseal cross sections exhibit signals of periosteal adaptation or canalization. MATERIALS AND METHODS Diaphyseal cross sections were analyzed in an ontogenetic series across infant, juvenile, and adult subgroups. Three-dimensional laser-scanned long bone models were sectioned at midshaft (50% of biomechanical length) and distally (20%) along the humerus and femur. Traditional axis ratios acted as indices of cross-sectional circularity, while geometric morphometric techniques were used to study cross-sectional allometry and ontogenetic trajectory. RESULTS The humeral midshaft is a strong indicator of posture and locomotor profile in the sample across development, while the mid-femur appears more reflective of shifts in size. By comparison, the distal diaphyses of both limb elements are more ontogenetically constrained, where periosteal shape is largely static across development relative to size, irrespective of a given taxon's behavior or ecology. DISCUSSION Primate limb shape is not only highly variable between taxa over development, but at discrete humeral and femoral diaphyseal locations. Overall, periosteal shape of the humeral and femoral midshaft cross sections closely reflects ontogenetic transitions in behavior and size, respectively, while distal shape in both bones appears more genetically constrained across intraspecific development, regardless of posture or size. These findings support prior research on tradeoffs between function and safety along the limbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A Nadell
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Elton
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Kris Kovarovic
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
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Ceccarelli E, Rangel Negrín A, Coyohua‐Fuentes A, Canales‐Espinosa D, Dias PAD. Sex differences in leadership during group movement in mantled howler monkeys (
Alouatta palliata
). Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23099. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Ceccarelli
- Primate Behavioral Ecology Lab, Instituto de NeuroetologíaUniversidad VeracruzanaXalapa México
| | - Ariadna Rangel Negrín
- Primate Behavioral Ecology Lab, Instituto de NeuroetologíaUniversidad VeracruzanaXalapa México
| | | | | | - Pedro Américo D. Dias
- Primate Behavioral Ecology Lab, Instituto de NeuroetologíaUniversidad VeracruzanaXalapa México
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Tecot SR, Baden AL. Profiling caregivers: Hormonal variation underlying allomaternal care in wild red-bellied lemurs, Eulemur rubriventer. Physiol Behav 2018; 193:135-148. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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9
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Howell CP, Cheyne SM. Complexities of Using Wild versus Captive Activity Budget Comparisons for Assessing Captive Primate Welfare. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2018; 22:78-96. [PMID: 30058408 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2018.1500286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Activity budget comparisons between groups or individuals in the wild and those in captivity are commonly used to determine the range of wild-type behaviors that nonhuman animals in captivity perform. These comparisons are conducted with the view that individuals displaying a greater range of wild-type behaviors have enhanced welfare. Such comparisons have a greater appeal when it comes to primates because increased levels of anthropomorphism toward primates lead to welfare concerns. However, the validity of such comparisons has not been assessed. From the reviewed literature, some of the main complexities identified when defining "good welfare" using activity budgets were the ideas of behavioral motivation and adaptation, obstacles when using the wild as a benchmark for good welfare, study methods causing possible variances in behavior, and social and environmental factors. It is proposed that such influencing factors would be controlled for adequately in future studies with the use of multiple indices to measure welfare and methods that infer positive emotional states. It is hoped we can then build evidence of an animal's emotional state and allow welfare to be inferred to a higher degree.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian P Howell
- a Department of Social Sciences , Oxford Brookes University , Oxford , United Kingdom.,b Research Department , Blackpool Zoo , Blackpool , United Kingdom
| | - Susan M Cheyne
- a Department of Social Sciences , Oxford Brookes University , Oxford , United Kingdom.,c Borneo Nature Foundation , Palangka Raya , Kalimantan Tengah , Indonesia
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Dunham NT, Rodriguez-Saona LE. Nutrient intake and balancing among female Colobus angolensis palliatus inhabiting structurally distinct forest areas: Effects of group, season, and reproductive state. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22878. [PMID: 29882365 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Understanding intraspecific behavioral and dietary variation is critical for assessing primate populations' abilities to persist in habitats characterized by increasing anthropogenic disturbances. While it is evident that some species exhibit considerable dietary flexibility (in terms of species-specific plant parts) in relation to habitat disturbance, it is unclear if primates are characterized by similar variation and flexibility regarding nutrient intake. This study examined the effects of group, season, and reproductive state on nutrient intake and balancing in adult female Colobus angolensis palliatus in the Diani Forest, Kenya. During July 2014 to December 2015, estimates of nutrient intake were recorded for eight females from three groups inhabiting structurally and ecologically distinct forest areas differing in tree species composition and density. There were differences in metabolizable energy (ME) and macronutrient intakes among groups, seasons, and reproductive states. Most notably, females inhabiting one of the more disturbed forest areas consumed less ME and macronutrients compared to females in the more intact forest area. Contrary to prediction, females in early lactation consumed significantly less ME and macronutrients compared to non-lactating and late lactation females. Despite differences in macronutrient intake, the relative contribution of macronutrients to ME were generally more conservative among groups, seasons, and reproductive states. Average daily intake ratios of non-protein energy to available protein ranged from approximately 3.5:1-4.3:1 among groups. These results indicate that female C. a. palliatus demonstrate a consistent nutrient balancing strategy despite significant intergroup differences in consumption of species-specific plant parts. Data from additional colobine species inhabiting different forest types are required to assess the extent to which nutrient balancing is constrained by phylogeny or is more flexible to local ecological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah T Dunham
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio
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11
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Rangel-Negrín A, Coyohua-Fuentes A, Canales-Espinosa D, Dias PAD. The Influence of Leaf Consumption on Time Allocation in Black Howler Monkeys (Alouatta pigra). Folia Primatol (Basel) 2018. [PMID: 29514166 DOI: 10.1159/000486414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The analysis of factors that determine variation in time budgets is important to understand the interactions between environment, behaviour and fitness. We tested the hypothesis that changes in the dietary patterns of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) caused by a decrease in the availability of preferred foods are a main determinant of variation in time budgets. We predicted that individuals would trade off travel time for resting time (i.e., minimize energy expenditure) as the diet included more leaves. We conducted our study in the Mexican state of Campeche between 2005 and 2008, where we studied the behaviour of 28 adult males and 32 adult females belonging to 14 different groups for a total of 3,747.2 focal sampling hours. Study groups lived in forest fragments with variation in habitat quality. Individuals showed different rest:travel trade-offs in response to leaf consumption according to the quality of the forest fragments they lived in. Individuals that lived in high-quality fragments increased resting time under more folivorous regimes, whereas those living in low-quality fragments increased travel time. Our results suggest that howler monkeys living in low-quality fragments spend more time foraging to compensate for the low quality of the available resources.
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Young JW, Shapiro LJ. Developments in development: What have we learned from primate locomotor ontogeny? AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 165 Suppl 65:37-71. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse W. Young
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyNortheast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)Rootstown Ohio, 44272
| | - Liza J. Shapiro
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of TexasAustin Texas, 78712
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Heldstab SA, van Schaik CP, Isler K. Getting fat or getting help? How female mammals cope with energetic constraints on reproduction. Front Zool 2017; 14:29. [PMID: 28616058 PMCID: PMC5468974 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-017-0214-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fat deposits enable a female mammal to bear the energy costs of offspring production and thus greatly influence her reproductive success. However, increasing locomotor costs and reduced agility counterbalance the fitness benefits of storing body fat. In species where costs of reproduction are distributed over other individuals such as fathers or non-breeding group members, reproductive females might therefore benefit from storing less energy in the form of body fat. RESULTS Using a phylogenetic comparative approach on a sample of 87 mammalian species, and controlling for possible confounding variables, we found that reproductive females of species with allomaternal care exhibit reduced annual variation in body mass (estimated as CV body mass), which is a good proxy for the tendency to store body fat. Differential analyses of care behaviours such as allonursing or provisioning corroborated an energetic interpretation of this finding. The presumably most energy-intensive form of allomaternal care, provisioning of the young, had the strongest effect on CV body mass. In contrast, allonursing, which involves no additional influx of energy but distributes maternal help across different mothers, was not correlated with CV body mass. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that reproducing females in species with allomaternal care can afford to reduce reliance on fat reserves because of the helpers' energetic contribution towards offspring rearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra A. Heldstab
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Carel P. van Schaik
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karin Isler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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Bădescu I, Watts DP, Katzenberg MA, Sellen DW. Alloparenting is associated with reduced maternal lactation effort and faster weaning in wild chimpanzees. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160577. [PMID: 28018647 PMCID: PMC5180145 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Alloparenting, when individuals other than the mother assist with infant care, can vary between and within populations and has potential fitness costs and benefits for individuals involved. We investigated the effects of alloparenting on the speed with which infants were weaned, a potential component of maternal fitness because of how it can affect inter-birth intervals, in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) at Ngogo, Uganda. We also provide, to our knowledge, the first description of alloparenting in this population and present a novel measure of the contribution of milk to infant diets through faecal stable nitrogen isotopes (δ15N). Using 42 mother-infant pairs, we tested associations of two alloparenting dimensions, natal attraction (interest in infants) and infant handling (holding, carrying), to the proportion of time mothers spent feeding and to maternal lactation effort (mean nursing rates and mother-infant δ15N differences). Neither natal attraction nor infant handling was significantly associated with feeding time. Infant handling was inversely associated with both measures of lactation effort, although natal attraction showed no association. Alloparenting may benefit mothers by enabling females to invest in their next offspring sooner through accelerated weaning. Our findings emphasize the significance of alloparenting as a flexible component of female reproductive strategies in some species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iulia Bădescu
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaM5S 2S2
| | - David P. Watts
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - M. Anne Katzenberg
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaT2N 1N4
| | - Daniel W. Sellen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaM5S 2S2
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Morino L, Borries C. Offspring loss after male change in wild siamangs: the importance of abrupt weaning and male care. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 162:180-185. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Morino
- Department of AnthropologyRutgers UniversityNew Brunswick NJ08901 USA
| | - Carola Borries
- Department of Anthropology and Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological SciencesStony Brook University, SUNYStony Brook NY11794 USA
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Burns BL, Judge DS. The varied path to adulthood: Plasticity in developmental timing in hylobatids. Am J Primatol 2015; 78:610-25. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2015] [Revised: 12/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Belinda L. Burns
- School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology M309; The University of Western Australia; Crawley WA Australia
| | - Debra S. Judge
- School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology M309; The University of Western Australia; Crawley WA Australia
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Sargeant EJ, Wikberg EC, Kawamura S, Fedigan L. Allonursing in white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) provides evidence for cooperative care of infants. BEHAVIOUR 2015. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Allonursing is a highly cooperative behaviour that may have important fitness consequences for the infant while the benefits to the allomother are less clear. To investigate the function of this behaviour, we compared patterns of allonursing and nursing exhibited by white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus). We used a linear mixed model approach to analyse data collected on 21 infants from six social groups in Sector Santa Rosa, Costa Rica. Infants nursed at higher rates and for longer durations from their mothers than from allonurses. They also allonursed at higher rates from lactating and non-lactating parous females than from nulliparous females and at higher rates from maternally related female allonurses than other females. We found no observed effect of adult female rank or infant sex. We conclude that infant white-faced capuchins engage in allonursing as a means to acquire additional milk, and that participating allonurses may benefit from increased inclusive fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eva C. Wikberg
- aDepartment of Anthropology, University of Calgary, AB, Canada
- bDepartment of Integrated Biosciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shoji Kawamura
- bDepartment of Integrated Biosciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
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Van Noordwijk MA, Kuzawa CW, Van Schaik CP. The evolution of the patterning of human lactation: A comparative perspective. Evol Anthropol 2013; 22:202-12. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Heesen M, Rogahn S, Ostner J, Schülke O. Food abundance affects energy intake and reproduction in frugivorous female Assamese macaques. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1530-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Multi-year lactation and its consequences in Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1504-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Isler K, van Schaik CP. Allomaternal care, life history and brain size evolution in mammals. J Hum Evol 2012; 63:52-63. [PMID: 22578648 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2012] [Revised: 03/27/2012] [Accepted: 03/31/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Humans stand out among the apes by having both an extremely large brain and a relatively high reproductive output, which has been proposed to be a consequence of cooperative breeding. Here, we test for general correlates of allomaternal care in a broad sample of 445 mammal species, by examining life history traits, brain size, and different helping behaviors, such as provisioning, carrying, huddling or protecting the offspring and the mother. As predicted from an energetic-cost perspective, a positive correlation between brain size and the amount of help by non-mothers is found among mammalian clades as a whole and within most groups, especially carnivores, with the notable exception of primates. In the latter group, the presence of energy subsidies during breeding instead resulted in increased fertility, up to the extreme of twinning in callitrichids, as well as a more altricial state at birth. In conclusion, humans exhibit a combination of the pattern found in provisioning carnivores, and the enhanced fertility shown by cooperatively breeding primates. Our comparative results provide support for the notion that cooperative breeding allowed early humans to sidestep the generally existing trade-off between brain size and reproductive output, and suggest an alternative explanation to the controversial 'obstetrical dilemma'-argument for the relatively altricial state of human neonates at birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Isler
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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Dias PAD, Rangel-Negrín A, Canales-Espinosa D. Effects of lactation on the time-budgets and foraging patterns of female black howlers (Alouatta pigra). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2011; 145:137-46. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2010] [Accepted: 12/02/2010] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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