Researchers examined 42 mother-infant pairs of eastern wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), similar to the one pictured. (Image by Bernard Dupont via Flickr CC BY SA 2.0)
Baby chimps that spend more time with someone other than their mothers can be weaned from breastfeeding faster than those cared for solely by their mom. A team of researchers observed 42 mother-infant pairs to see how much care time by others—defined as “alloparenting”—affects the feeding time for the infant. They observed that infants who were held and carried by various babysitters weaned faster and showed less interest in milk. This could help the mother focus on other offspring. These findings suggest that alloparenting could be beneficial for some species of mammals, but it is unclear how babysitters contribute to the overall reproductive success of chimp mothers.
Authors:
Iulia Bădescu, David P. Watts, M. Anne Katzenberg, Daniel W. Sellen
Corresponding author:
Iulia Badescu, Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Email: i.badescu@mail.utoronto.ca
Original paper published in Royal Society Open Science on November 8, 2016.
