Offspring Effects upon Parents

Harper, Lawrence V.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-3150-6_4

Cited by 18 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 285 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…As is evident by the greater equation slopes (Table 3), calves of multiparous mothers engage in greater amounts and frequencies (greater line slopes) of nursing activities as they mature. These results are contrary to Harper [1981], who suggested that primiparous mothers may nurse their young more because of increased "concern" and investment, perhaps overly so. Furthermore, Trivers [1974] proposed that naïve mothers may be less able to distinguish between signals given by an offspring soliciting parental care for adequate subsistence versus those transmitted by the young when they are attempting to receive more food than is necessary.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 84%

Nursing parameters in captive killer whales (Orcinus orca)

Clark

Odell

1999

Zoo Biol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 84%

Nursing parameters in captive killer whales (Orcinus orca)

Clark

Odell

1999

Zoo Biol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…However, mothers in this situation might be expected to be selective in their response to infant stimuli. Harper (1981, p. 158) proposed that ‘there may be lower and upper limits for frequency or intensity of offspring stimulation that, on average, serve as reliable boundaries, below or above which it would be uneconomical to invest at all or at current levels.‘ Evidence of such effects is seen in the responses of mothers to larger than average numbers of offspring, with mothers frequently limiting their responses in the face of increased stimuli. In rodents, the amount of care behavior per infant generally declines (Grota and Ader 1969; Mendl 1988; Deviterne et al 1990; Guerra and Nunes 2001) and mothers are more likely to kill and cannibalize part of a litter (Elwood and Broom 1978; Gandelman and Simon 1978; Elwood and Kennedy 1994) as litter size increases.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Marmoset Mothers Count to Three? Effect of Litter Size on Mother–Infant Interactions

2002

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Harper (Parental Care in Mammals, Plenum Press, New York, 1981, p. 158) proposed that ‘there may be lower and upper limits for frequency or intensity of offspring stimulation that, on average, serve as reliable boundaries, below or above which it would be uneconomical to invest at all or at current levels.‘ This proposition was tested in captive common marmosets by comparing the responses of marmoset mothers exposed to differing number of infants. Fifteen common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) litters (seven twin and eight triplet litters) from 11 different dams were observed for 6–12, 30‐min sessions over days 1–4 following birth. Mothers nursed smaller infants less frequently (F = 4.208, df = 1, 22; p = 0.052) regardless of litter size. The percent time mothers spent transporting (nursing and carrying) each infant was less for triplets than twins (F = 11.785, df = 1, 12; p = 0.005). Average transport bout length was significantly shorter for smaller infants (F = 7.566, df = 1, 22; p = 0.012) and was half as long for triplet infants as for twins (F = 10.733, df = 1, 7; p = 0.013). Twice as many transport bouts for triplets included maternal harassment of infants, than for twins (F = 42.742, df = 1, 24; p = 0.0001). Infant‐initiated transfers to the mother were more common for triplets than for twins (Mann–Whitney U = 79.50, p = 0.006). The overall maternal carrying score (% carry × number of infants carried) was lower for triplet litters than for twin litters (F = 15.38, df = 1, 3; p = 0.029); i.e. mothers of triplets did not, overall, invest in more carrying and nursing than did mothers of twins but instead invested less. These findings suggest that, as opposed to the strong attraction to infants that is common for many primates, the marmoset mother's tolerance for carrying infants does not increase with increasing infant stimuli present; rather, marmoset mothers will only tolerate a limited amount of time transporting and nursing infants, regardless of litter size. This limited tolerance may be due to the species’ small body size and anti‐predator strategies (e.g. concealment) that make infant care incompatible with other essential activities, such as foraging.

show abstract

“…The exceptions were the Goegap χ Irene hybrids which all (19 of 19) died before weaning, while the Goegap χ Alice hybrids grew the slowest before weaning. The reasons for hybrid inviability are unknown, but the literature suggests that disruption of co-adapted gene complexes may result in biochemical, physiological or behavioural breakdown of the young (Dobzhansky and Levene 1951 ;Rogers and Dawson 1971;Burton 1990 ;Harper 1981).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Reproductive isolation in three populations of the striped mouse Rhabdomys pumilio (Rodentia, Muridae) : interpopulation breeding studies

Pillay¹

2000

Mamm

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Reproductive isolation was studied in three populations of the striped mouse Rhabdomys pumilio. Two populations, Alice and Goegap, had the same diploid number of 48, while the other population, Irene, had a diploid number of 46. The populations represent three extremes of the distributional range of the species in South Africa. Interpopulation breeding and postnatal growth of hybrids were studied to test for post-zygotic reproductive isolation among the populations. Breeding success was high (> 73 %) in intrapopulation pairs and extremely reduced in interpopulation pairs, which showed also high levels of aggression. Of the interpopulation pairs, male Goegap χ female Alice crosses had the best reproductive success (i.e. 53 %), but litter size was significantly lower than that of intrapopulation pairs, and the hybrids had retarded pre-weaning growth and low reproductive success. Alice χ Irene and Goegap χ Irene pairs had little or no success, and their hybrid young had respectively no reproductive success or high pre-weaning mortality. Although there are indications of hybrid failure, the inability of interpopulation pairs to produce many offspring did not permit thorough testing of hybrid fitness and viability. Instead, the data obtained suggest that pre-mating instead of post-zygotic barriers prevent interfertility of the three populations.Resume. -L'existence d'un isolement reproductif a ete etudiee chez trois populations allopatriques de rats rayes Rhabdomys pumilio. Deux des populations, Alice et Goegap, sont caracterisees par un meme nombre diplo'ide de chromosomes, 2n = 48, alors que la troisieme, Irene, avait 2n = 46. Ces populations proviennent de trois points extremes de l'aire de repartition de Pespece en Afrique du Sud. Une etude de la reproduction entre individus de ces populations, et une analyse de la croissance postnatale des hybrides ont ete menees. Les couples issus d'une meme population presentaient un taux de reproduction eleve (> 73 %), tandis qu'entre populations differentes il etait extremement reduit, les croisements s'accompagnant dans ce cas d'un niveau d'agressivite eleve. Les croisements de type Goegap χ Alice presentaient le taux de succes le plus eleve (53 %); cependant la taille des portees etait significativement inferieure celle des couples issus de populations identiques. Les hybrides presentaient une croissance avant sevrage retardee et un taux reproductif bas. Les croisements Alice χ Irene et Goegap χ Irene ont eu peu ou pas de succes, et leurs hybrides ont eu soit aucune reproduction soit une mortalite presevrage elevee. Malgre des indications de faiblesse des hybrides, Pinaptitude des couples issus Mammalia, t. 64, n° 4, 2000: 461-470. Brought to you by | University of California Authenticated Download Date | 6/12/15 4:16 PM 462 MAMMALIA de populations differentes ä produire beaucoup de jeunes n'a pas permis d'approfondir l'etude de leur viabilite et de leurs caracteristiques d'hybrides. Par centre, les donnees obtenues suggerent que ce sont des barrieres precopulatoires et ...

show abstract

Offspring Effects upon Parents

Cited by 18 publications

References 285 publications

Nursing parameters in captive killer whales (Orcinus orca)

Nursing parameters in captive killer whales (Orcinus orca)

Can Marmoset Mothers Count to Three? Effect of Litter Size on Mother–Infant Interactions

Reproductive isolation in three populations of the striped mouse Rhabdomys pumilio (Rodentia, Muridae) : interpopulation breeding studies

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About