Thanatology in the northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus)

Filho, Robério Freire; Inforzato, Igor; Tabacow, Fernanda P.; Martins, Waldney Pereira; Possamai, Carla B.; Ferraz, Daniel; Hack, Robson Odeli Espíndola; Rocha, Samantha; Slomp, Daniel V.; Nery, Marcello S.; Almeida, Letícia de; Fernandes, Naíla; Alves, Pedro Paulo Rezende; Mendes, Sérgio Lucena; Strier, Karen B.

doi:10.1007/s10329-022-00991-5

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Notable in the case reported here the baby was not in good health at birth, it died after few days, and it was consumed exclusively by the mother. Although we cannot draw any firm conclusions about motivation or potential benefits of the mother’s behaviors, publication of these types of events are important for both quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the wide range of reported post-mortem behaviors (Nakagawa 2021 ; Freire Filho et al 2022 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Record of thanatology and cannibalism in drills (Mandrillus leucophaeus)

2023

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Comparative thanatology includes the scientific study of death in non-human animals, which involves emotional, social, and exploratory responses of individuals and groups towards corpses. Stillborn babies and dead infants often elicit maternal and alloparental care that can persist for days, weeks, or even months, especially in primates. After this period, cannibalistic acts can occur not only by groupmates but also by the mother. Such cannibalism has been reported both in captive and wild primate groups, suggesting that the phenomenon is evolutionary adaptive. Here, we report a case in drills (Mandrillus leucophaeus), a largely unstudied monkey species. We collected data from the birth to the death of the infant on maternal and alloparental care towards the newborn across three phases: pre-mortem, post-mortem, and post-mortem cannibalism. The mother maintained high levels of grooming after the infant’s death. Both the mother and other group members interacted with the dead baby by trying to engage its gaze. Two days after the death, the mother started to eat the corpse until it was almost completely consumed; there was no sharing with other group members. Although we cannot draw firm conclusions about potential benefits of the mother’s behavior, this observation on drills adds a piece to the puzzle of thanatological behaviors and cannibalism in primates.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%