Infant transport and mother-infant contact from 1 to 26 weeks postnatal in Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) in northwestern Madagascar

American Journal of Primatology
Abigail C Ross, Shawn M Lehman

Abstract

Lactating females face energetic constraints absent in conspecifics and must compensate for higher energy requirements. Infant transport is the most energetically costly mammalian activity after lactation. Nonetheless, infant transport and mother-infant contact are seldom measured. The extreme seasonality characteristic of Madagascar coupled with lactation costs and infant transport is a trifold energetic challenge encountered by lemur mothers. We hypothesized that Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) mothers spend more time caring for infants during the early/earlier-mid lactation period, coinciding with the resource depletive austral winter, relative to later-mid/late lactation. We tested this hypothesis by measuring infant carrier identity, transport position, and frequency of mother-infant contact for 678 focal hours over two consecutive birth seasons from 1 to 26 weeks postnatal (N = 10 infants, N = 10 mothers, N = 19 adult males, N = 8 adult females) in Ankarafantsika National Park (ANP), Madagascar. Quantifying P. coquereli postnatal care strategies demonstrates how a species with a "slow" life history lives in an energetically challenging environment, thereby providing data on maternal energetic responses and infan...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1978·Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·R H Eaglen, K J Boskoff
Mar 1, 1976·The Quarterly Review of Biology·S C Stearns
Jan 1, 1974·Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·A Richard
Jan 1, 1974·Behaviour·J Altmann
Jan 1, 1967·Animal Behaviour·R A Hinde, Y Spencer-Booth
Sep 16, 1998·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·J Jernvall, P C Wright
Dec 22, 1999·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·P C Wright
Feb 25, 2000·Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·C Ross, A MacLarnon
Nov 15, 2000·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·A PurvisG M Mace
Aug 31, 2002·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·D L Dufour, M L Sauther
Jul 23, 2005·Science·Marcel CardilloAndy Purvis
Aug 19, 2007·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Robert E Dewar, Alison F Richard
Sep 15, 2007·Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·Laurie R Godfrey, Mitchell T Irwin
Sep 14, 2012·PloS One·Brooke E CrowleyShawn M Lehman
Dec 10, 2013·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Mitchell T IrwinJessica M Rothman
Jan 21, 2014·American Journal of Primatology·Célia Kun-RodriguesLounès Chikhi
Jan 25, 2014·Physiological and Biochemical Zoology : PBZ·Barry G LovegroveThomas Ruf
Jan 30, 2014·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Herman PontzerStephen R Ross
Apr 11, 2015·Ecology and Evolution·Jason L Brown, Anne D Yoder
Jan 1, 1987·American Journal of Primatology·Carolyn M Crockett, Rasanayagam Rudran

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jan 31, 2018·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Jesse W Young, Liza J Shapiro

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.