Consequences of maternal loss before and after weaning in male and female wild chimpanzees

Stanton, Margaret A.; Lonsdorf, Elizabeth V.; Murray, Carson M.; Pusey, Anne E.

doi:10.1007/s00265-020-2804-7

Cited by 53 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Several studies have demonstrated the specific social benefits that mothers provide to co-residing offspring, which can extend well into adulthood 7,8,16,17 . In some societies the active support of mothers can increase the rank of their offspring 6,18–20 with higher ranking individuals showing greater survival in almost all natural animal populations in which it has been studied 1 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This was suggested to be due to mothers buffering against feeding competition and increasing juvenile’s access to valuable resources. Mothers can also provide valuable ecological knowledge either directly or through their relationships with more experienced group members 8 . African elephant groups led by more experienced matriarchs showed greater foraging success during extreme drought 23 , whilst in resident killer whales, older females led salmon foraging, particularly when abundance was low 24 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Social groups buffer maternal loss in mountain gorillas

Morrison

Eckardt

Colchero

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Mothers are crucial for mammals’ survival before nutritional independence, but many social mammals reside with their mothers long after. In these species the social adversity caused by maternal loss later in life can dramatically reduce fitness. However, in some human populations these negative consequences appear to be overcome by care from other group members. We investigated the consequences of maternal loss in mountain gorillas and found no discernible fitness costs to maternal loss through survival, age at first birth or survival of first offspring through infancy. Social network analysis revealed that maternal loss led to strengthened relationships with other group members, particularly the dominant male and age-mates. In contrast to most social mammals, where maternal loss causes considerable social adversity, in mountain gorillas, as in certain human populations, this may be buffered by relationships within cohesive social groups, breaking the link between maternal loss, increased social adversity and decreased fitness.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social groups buffer maternal loss in mountain gorillas

Morrison

Eckardt

Colchero

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…Looking to one of our closest living relatives, recent studies examining maternal loss in the postweaning immature phase in wild chimpanzees also reveal reduced survival ( 9 ). This is especially the case for sons ( 12 ), where maternal loss after aged 10 years continues to affect sons’ but not daughters’ survival. In addition, maternal loss slows growth during development in both sexes ( 13 ) and delays sexual maturity and first reproduction of daughters ( 14 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postweaning maternal care increases male chimpanzee reproductive success

et al. 2020

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Humans are unusual among animals for continuing to provision and care for their offspring until adulthood. This “prolonged dependency” is considered key for the evolution of other notable human traits, such as large brains, complex societies, and extended postreproductive lifespans. Prolonged dependency must therefore have evolved under conditions in which reproductive success is gained with parental investment and diminished with early parental loss. We tested this idea using data from wild chimpanzees, which have similarly extended immature years as humans and prolonged mother-offspring associations. Males who lost their mothers after weaning but before maturity began reproducing later and had lower average reproductive success. Thus, persistent mother-immature son associations seem vital for enhancing male reproductive success, although mothers barely provision sons after weaning. We posit that these associations lead to social gains, crucial for successful reproduction in complex social societies, and offer insights into the evolution of prolonged dependency.

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“…In some species, including primates, hyenas, whales, and some ungulates, mothers and offspring continue to associate after weaning, and mothers may provide substantial social and energetic input as well as protection during some or all of the remainder of the pre-dispersal, immature period (hereafter the 'immature period') (12,(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21). Thus, loss of the mother can continue to heighten the risk of death even in weaned, immature offspring (17,19,21) (Figure 1, blue arrow). However, because offspring are less dependent on mothers during this phase of life, the effects of maternal loss after weaning can be sub-lethal (9,16,22).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If an offspring that is weaned (but still partially dependent on its mother) survives its mother's death, the offspring may experience long-lasting negative effects, including adverse behavioral or social outcomes in adolescence or adulthood (humans: (23,24); non-humans: (19,20,(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)). In baboons, chimpanzees, and elephants, motherless offspring may experience reduced survival during adolescence and adulthood, well after the maternal loss occurs, presumably because maternal loss results in a chronic reduction in body condition (13,21,26,32) (Figure 1, red arrow).…”

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confidence: 99%

Beyond orphaned infants: novel effects of maternal death in wild primates

Zipple

Altmann

Campos

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Primate offspring often depend on their mothers well beyond the age of weaning, and offspring that experience maternal death in early life can suffer substantial reductions in fitness across the lifespan. Here we leverage data from eight wild primate populations (seven species) to examine two underappreciated pathways linking early maternal death and offspring fitness that are distinct from direct effects of orphaning on offspring survival. First, we show that, for five of the seven species, offspring face reduced survival during the years immediately preceding maternal death, while the mother is still alive. Second, we identify an intergenerational effect of early maternal loss in three species (muriquis, baboons, and blue monkeys), such that early maternal death experienced in one generation leads to reduced offspring survival in the next. Our results have important implications for the evolution of slow life histories in primates, as they suggest that maternal condition and survival are more important for offspring fitness than previously realized.

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Consequences of maternal loss before and after weaning in male and female wild chimpanzees

Cited by 53 publications

References 80 publications

Social groups buffer maternal loss in mountain gorillas

Social groups buffer maternal loss in mountain gorillas

Postweaning maternal care increases male chimpanzee reproductive success

Beyond orphaned infants: novel effects of maternal death in wild primates

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