Allomaternal care and ‘adoption’ in an edge-of-range population of Taihangshan macaques in Northern China

Guo, Yongman; Grueter, Cyril C.; Lu, Jiqi

doi:10.1093/cz/zoac027

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 8 publications

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“…Focusing on macaques, adoption by adult females has been documented in captive rhesus ( M. mulatta ) (Deets and Harlow 1974 ; Ellsworth and Andersen 1999 ), Japanese ( M. fuscata ) (Fuccillo et al 1983 ), and long-tailed ( M. fascicularis ) macaques (Cho et al 1986 ), and semi-free-ranging Barbary macaques ( M. sylvanus ) (Paul and Kuester 1996 ). A more recent study reported adoption of an orphaned infant by her sister in a wild population of Taihangshan macaques (M. mulatta tcheliensis , Guo et al 2022 ). Interestingly in this case, alloparental care was also provided to the infant by two adult males in the troop.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infant adoptions in wild bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata)

et al. 2022

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Though uncommon, adoption of orphaned infants has been observed in both wild and captive non-human primates. In two groups of wild bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata), we observed five instances of infants being cared for after they lost their mothers at a pre-weaning age (< 6 months). Orphaned infants had one or more caregivers (juvenile, subadult, and adult female or male) involved in carrying, grooming, hugging, and protecting them. Adoption did not appear to be related to the age/sex class of the infant, or directly to the mother’s rank. Although the dominance rank of the mother of an orphaned infant did not have a direct effect on orphan survivorship, it determined the number of caregivers available to the orphaned infant, and infant survivorship was positively related to the number of caregivers of the orphaned infant. Thus, survivorship was likely a function of the mother’s sociality. Two other infants born to high-ranking mothers were also adopted by more individuals and survived longer than the infants of low-ranking mothers.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infant adoptions in wild bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata)

et al. 2022

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Adoptions of unrelated infants in wild Taihangshan macaques (Macaca mulatta tcheliensis), Jiyuan, north China

Han,

Zhou,

Wang

et al. 2024

Current Zoology

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Infant-care behavior, a range of caring behaviors by parental or alloparental individuals towards infants unable to live independently, plays a significant role in the survival of infants and the continuation of the species in non-human primates. During a behavioral ecological study of Taihangshan macaques, we observed two cases of infant adoptions by unrelated adult females. In case 1, a multiparous female adopted a lost infant from a neighboring group, with the infant being snatched back by her biological mother 35 days after the adoption. This is the first report of cross-group adoption in Macaca. In case 2, a nulliparous adult female, who had been once adopted by her elder sister, adopted an orphan from her group for 36 days. We describe the details of adoptions in Taihangshan macaques and explore possible reasons for adoptions to contribute to understanding the evolution of infant-care behavior and altruistic behavior of adoption in primates.

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A Unique Case of Adoption in Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys

Zhao,

Li,

Wang

et al. 2024

Animals

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Adoption among nonhuman primates (hereafter primates) has been widely reported, particularly in chimpanzees, renowned for their higher intelligence and well-developed cognition. In contrast to adoption in other Old World monkeys, this case of adoption in golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) involves two infants associated with three units characterized by distinct social structures and reproductive functions. Consequently, this case extends beyond traditional hypotheses on allomaternal care and adoption—such as enhancing the fitness of adoptive mothers, fostering maternal behaviors, and improving fitness through social and individual interactions—to necessitate an association with the complex social structure characterized by hierarchical, multilevel composition, akin to human society, and intense sexual selection that frequently results in infanticide. Specifically, adopting an infant with a genetic link to the dominant male of the adopting female may reduce the risk of infanticide against her offspring that do not share a biological link with the dominant male. This adoption pattern suggests that golden snub-nosed monkeys may possess more sophisticated intelligence and cognition, characteristics supported by more developed brain structure and facial muscles than the other Old World monkeys.

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Allomaternal care and ‘adoption’ in an edge-of-range population of Taihangshan macaques in Northern China

Cited by 4 publications

References 8 publications

Infant adoptions in wild bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata)

Infant adoptions in wild bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata)

Adoptions of unrelated infants in wild Taihangshan macaques (Macaca mulatta tcheliensis), Jiyuan, north China

A Unique Case of Adoption in Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys

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