Prevalence of allosuckling behaviour in Subantarctic fur seal pups

Bruyn, P. J. Nico de; Cameron, Elissa Z.; Tosh, Cheryl Ann; Oosthuizen, W. Chris; Reisinger, Ryan R; Phalanndwa, Mashudu; Postma, Martin; Wege, Mia; Merwe, D.S. van der; Bester, Marthán N

doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2009.11.004

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Allolactation in this case may be more comparable to milk-stealing, unintentional allonursing seen in a number of species (Murphey et al 1995;de Bruyn et al 2010), or milk-dumping, where females appear to readily give up milk not consumed by their own offspring. Milk-dumping is thought to explain allonursing in evening bats (Wilkinson 1992), and in grey seals (Beck et al 2000).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Factors predicting the frequency, likelihood and duration of allonursing in the cooperatively breeding meerkat

2013

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Allolactation, the nursing of another female's offspring, occurs most commonly where several females raise young simultaneously in the same nest, but also occurs in singular breeders where non-breeders also lactate for the offspring of dominant females. In this study, we investigate the factors predicting the frequency of allonursing, whether or not subordinate female meerkats invest in allonursing, and how much time they invest. Around half of all litters born to dominant females were allonursed. Litters born later were more likely to be allonursed than those born early in the season. Group size, litter size, rainfall, and maternal condition were not associated with the likelihood that a litter was allonursed. Subordinate females were more likely to allolactate if they were (or had recently been) pregnant. This effect was stronger if they were also highly related to the litter's mother, suggesting that females may gain indirect benefits from allolactating. Older females and those that had recently returned to the group following eviction were also more likely to allolactate.Females nursed for longer periods if they were in good condition, and invested more time if the litter was large or if the litter mother was in poor condition. We suggest that allolactation generates a combination of direct and indirect benefits. ___________________________________________________________________________

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Factors predicting the frequency, likelihood and duration of allonursing in the cooperatively breeding meerkat

2013

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“…In pinnipeds, observations of allonursing behavior are relatively widespread, having been observed in at least 5 phocids, odobenids and 11 otariids (e.g. Bartholomew, 1959;Riedman and Le Boeuf, 1982;Childerhouse and Gales, 2001;de Bruyn et al, 2010;Pitcher et al, 2011;Arso Civil et al, 2021). This behavior is often attributed to misdirected parental care (e.g.…”

Section: Allonursingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating reproductive costs in marine mammal bioenergetic models: a review of current knowledge and data availability

McHuron

Adamczak

Costa

et al. 2023

Conservation Physiology

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Reproductive costs represent a significant proportion of a mammalian female's energy budget. Estimates of reproductive costs are needed for understanding how alterations to energy budgets, such as those from environmental variation or human activities, impact maternal body condition, vital rates and population dynamics. Such questions are increasingly important for marine mammals, as many populations are faced with rapidly changing and increasingly disturbed environments. Here we review the different energetic costs that marine mammals incur during gestation and lactation and how those costs are typically estimated in bioenergetic models. We compiled data availability on key model parameters for each species across all six marine mammal taxonomic groups (mysticetes, odontocetes, pinnipeds, sirenians, mustelids and ursids). Pinnipeds were the best-represented group regarding data availability, including estimates of milk intake, milk composition, lactation duration, birth mass, body composition at birth and growth. There were still considerable data gaps, particularly for polar species, and good data were only available across all parameters in 45% of pinniped species. Cetaceans and sirenians were comparatively data-poor, with some species having little or no data for any parameters, particularly beaked whales. Even for species with moderate data coverage, many parameter estimates were tentative or based on indirect approaches, necessitating reevaluation of these estimates. We discuss mechanisms and factors that affect maternal energy investment or prey requirements during reproduction, such as prey supplementation by offspring, metabolic compensation, environmental conditions and maternal characteristics. Filling the existing data gaps highlighted in this review, particularly for parameters that are influential on bioenergetic model outputs, will help refine reproductive costs estimated from bioenergetic models and better address how and when energy imbalances are likely to affect marine mammal populations.

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Maternal Behavior in Otariids and the Walrus

Sepúlveda

Harcourt

2021

Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Otariids and the Odobenid

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Prevalence of allosuckling behaviour in Subantarctic fur seal pups

Cited by 7 publications

References 30 publications

Factors predicting the frequency, likelihood and duration of allonursing in the cooperatively breeding meerkat

Factors predicting the frequency, likelihood and duration of allonursing in the cooperatively breeding meerkat

Estimating reproductive costs in marine mammal bioenergetic models: a review of current knowledge and data availability

Maternal Behavior in Otariids and the Walrus

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