Allosuckling in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus): Milk-theft, mismothering or kin selection?

Engelhardt, Sacha C.; Weladji, Robert B.; Holand, Øystein; Rioja, Covadonga M. de; Ehmann, Rosina; Nieminen, Mauri

doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2014.08.013

Cited by 12 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…Some non-mutually exclusive hypotheses have been proposed to explain why lactating females nurse alien offspring: misdirected parental care (Packer et al, 1992), reciprocity (Ekvall, 1998;Engelhardt et al, 2015;Glonekov et al, 2016), kin selection (Pusey and Packer, 1994;Ekvall, 1998;Eberle and Kappeler, 2006;Engelhardt et al, 2016), evacuation of leftover milk (Riedman and Le Boeuf, 1982;Wilkinson, 1992), inexperience of females (Murphey et al, 1991;1995), and milk theft (Murphey et al, 1995;Maniscalco et al, 2007;Zapata et al,2009;Engelhardt et al, 2014;Glonekov et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of nursing behaviour, sex of the calf, and parity order on milk production of buffaloes

Oliveira

Quirino

Bastos

2017

Rev Colomb Cienc Pecu

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Efecto del ccomportamiento de amamantamiento, sexo del becerro y orden del parto sobre la producción de leche en búfalos Efeito do comportamento de amamentação, sexo do bezerro e ordem de parto sobre a produção de leite em bubalinos AbstractBackground: the allonursing effect on daily milk production (DMP) and total milk production (TMP) has been little explored. Objective: to evaluate the effect of nursing behaviour, sex of the calf and parity order (PO) on DMP and TMP of buffalo cows. Methods: thirty-five buffalo cows and their calves were evaluated. Observations were performed monthly (three consecutive days) from May to November. The nursing behavior was characterized as: 1) isolated filial nursing (IFN); 2) collective filial nursing (CFN), and 3) non-filial nursing (NFN). Cows were grouped into four categories to study the effects of nursing behavior on DMP and TMP: 1) non-permissive (NP); 2) filial permissive (FP); 3) filial and collective filial permissive (FCFP); and 4) filial, collective filial and non-filial permissive (FCFNFP). DMP was recorded three days per month and TMP was calculated as DMP*270 days of lactation. Results: sex of the calf and second and third PO had an effect on nursing behavior (p<0.05). DMP and TMP were significantly affected by calf sex and nursing behaviour (p<0.05). PO had no effect on DMP and TMP. Conclusion: our results suggest that nursing behaviour is associated with milk production in buffalo cows. Buffalo cows that accept all types of nursing behaviour had the highest DMP and TMP. Sex of the calf influenced nursing behaviour, DMP, and TMP, so that buffalo cows with male calves displayed more frequent allonursing behaviour and yielded more milk.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of nursing behaviour, sex of the calf, and parity order on milk production of buffaloes

Oliveira

Quirino

Bastos

2017

Rev Colomb Cienc Pecu

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“…Does rarely allonursed without nursing their own calf, which did not support the milk evacuation hypothesis (Roulin ), and allosuckling in reindeer supported the milk‐theft hypothesis (Engelhardt et al. ). Therefore, we argue that the evidence of reciprocal allonursing and partner choice was not due to indiscriminate allonursing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…), and the rejection rates of non‐filial reindeer calves were significantly greater than those of filial calves (Engelhardt et al. ). Nonetheless, reciprocal allonursing was not influenced by relatedness (see MacLeod & Lukas ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The results testing the milk‐theft and mismothering hypotheses for allosuckling in reindeer provided support to the milk‐theft hypothesis, whereas limited support for the mismothering hypothesis was found (Engelhardt et al. ). The hypotheses of milk evacuation (Roulin ), milk‐theft (Packer et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…; Engelhardt et al. ). The hypothesized causes and functions of allonursing are not mutually exclusive.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Evidence of Reciprocal Allonursing in Reindeer, Rangifer tarandus

et al. 2014

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The nursing of non‐offspring is referred to as allonursing. Reciprocity is a hypothesized cause of allonursing, but previous studies have not strongly supported or found no evidence in support for this hypothesis. Biological market theory was applied to 25 reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) does and their calves to investigate allonursing reciprocity across bouts and within dyads and assess the diversity of allonursing partners. We also investigated whether variation in allonursing would be associated to relatedness within dyads. We recorded both the occurrence and the duration of 1027 successful allonursing solicitations. All does allonursed, and only three of the 25 calves were not observed being allonursed. Throughout the study, 234 allonursing dyadic pairs were observed. Does allonursed the calves of several does, but allonursing was not distributed evenly among all potential partners. Twenty does were members of at least 1 dyad with a high degree of reciprocity based on the number of allonursing bouts exchanged within the dyad. We found evidence of both relative and absolute allonursing reciprocity at the group level. Across bouts and within dyads, the reciprocal allonursing indexes varied greatly both for frequency and for duration, with an average tendency towards unidirectionality. Evidence of strong reciprocity within dyads was found in 32 dyads for number of allonursing bouts and in 25 dyads for duration of allonursing bouts. Across bouts and within dyads, the number of allonursing bouts received was not influenced by relatedness, allonursing bouts given or absolute rank difference. Allonursing was not interchanged for rank‐related benefits. Our results provide evidence of reciprocal allonursing at the group level, across bouts and within dyads, and reciprocal allonursing among chosen partners. Our results point to the usefulness of applying the biological market theory to allonursing and of considering allonursing as a tradable commodity, traded for itself, among chosen partners.

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Allosuckling in southern right whale calves

Sprogis,

Christiansen

2024

Mamm Biol

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Allosuckling, the suckling of milk from a non-biological mother, occurs in some species of mammals. Allosuckling has not been quantified in baleen whale calves; therefore, we examine allosuckling in southern right whales (SRWs; Eubalaena australis) off Australia. SRWs are listed as Endangered under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act as their numbers remain below the estimated historical abundance. On a small aggregation area, where there were three mother–calf pairs present, we aimed to quantify the proportion of time that calves allosuckled relative to the time spent filial suckling. To achieve this, we conducted unmanned aerial vehicle focal follows on mother–calf pairs and video recorded all interactions among pairs (n = 22 interactions, 3 h total observation time). During interactions, allosuckling occurred in seven interactions, and filial nursing occurred in 11 interactions. One of the calves performed allosuckling, and it was the largest calf with the largest mother. The calf allosuckled from both of the non-biological mothers present. The average proportion of time allosuckling per interaction was 4% (95% CI = ± 0.01, range = 0–0.25), whilst filial nursing for the same calf was 8% (95% CI = ± 0.02, range = 0–0.37). It is important to understand the frequency of allosuckling, and to quantify the energetic benefits for allosuckling calves and the energetic cost incurred by targeted non-biological mothers. This is particularly pertinent for capital breeders who do not replenish lost energy reserves until they migrate to their feeding grounds.

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Allosuckling in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus): Milk-theft, mismothering or kin selection?

Cited by 12 publications

References 72 publications

Effect of nursing behaviour, sex of the calf, and parity order on milk production of buffaloes

Effect of nursing behaviour, sex of the calf, and parity order on milk production of buffaloes

Evidence of Reciprocal Allonursing in Reindeer, Rangifer tarandus

Allosuckling in southern right whale calves

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