Infant Pelage Color Change and Infant Handling in Captive Black-and-White Colobus

Okumura, Taiki; Nemoto, Kei; Chapman, Colin A.; Matsuda, Ikki

doi:10.3106/ms2019-0081

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…The third objective was to investigate the development of infantile faces in Japanese macaques during the early postnatal period. Although studies on non-human primates have explored the developmental process of infantile coloration during infancy [56, 57], this study represents the first empirical example of the development of infantile faces and their individual differences in infant primates. Our findings revealed that infantile faces did not necessarily reach their peak proportions immediately after birth but instead peaked between 40 and 70 days of age in some subjects.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Examining infantile facial features and their influence on caretaking behaviors in free-ranging Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)

Minami,

Furuichi

2023

Preprint

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Facial features of immature individuals play a pivotal role in eliciting caretaking behaviors in humans. It has been posited that non-human animals share particular infantile facial features with humans, which can elicit caregivers attention and caretaking behaviors. Nevertheless, the empirical examination of this hypothesis is extremely limited. In this study, we investigated infantile facial features in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), their developmental processes, and their correlation with caretaking and infant behaviors, based on 470 facial photographs from one free-ranging group. We measured the size of facial parts and evaluated infantile facial features in Japanese macaques with non-contact procedures with the animals. The results indicated that, although some partial species differences were observed, the infantile facial features in Japanese macaques were broadly consistent with those previously observed in humans and great apes. Furthermore, half of the infant subjects displayed non-linear developmental trajectories of infantile faces similar to those suggested in humans. These changes were sex-based, with most females demonstrating a linear trajectory and most males a hump-shaped development in their facial proportions. However, unlike previous studies in humans, infantile faces were not significantly associated with maternal or non-maternal caretaking behaviors, nor were their developmental changes correlated with infant behavioral development. These findings indicate that while many aspects of infantile facial features are shared among particular primates, humans may have evolved a uniquely elevated preference for selecting such features among the primate lineage.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Development Of Infantile Faces and Associations With Mobilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining infantile facial features and their influence on caretaking behaviors in free-ranging Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)

Minami,

Furuichi

2023

Preprint

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“…(b) Natal coats are an adaptation to garner attention and care from conspecific carers (allomothers). This is thought to lower costs of maternal care or give nonmothers, particularly nulliparous females, practice at care‐giving (Rosenbaum & Gettler, 2018), or both (Alley, 1980; Horwich & Gebhard, 1986; Okumura et al, 2020; Quiatt, 1979; Ross & MacLarnon, 2000). (c) Natal coats are a way of obscuring paternity certainty in multi‐male or promiscuous species (Treves, 1997) so that offspring do not resemble the coat color of any particular male thereby reducing the probability of males killing unrelated infants (termed the “paternity cloak” hypothesis).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the evolution of distinctive natal coat coloration in primates

Caro

Brockelsbury

Ferrari

et al. 2022

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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Objectives: Neonates of several primate species are born with very different pelage coloration from their parents but then assume adult coat color within weeks or months of birth. We set out to test the three conventional functional hypotheses for this distinctive transient natal coat coloration in primates (infanticide, allomothering, and confusion of paternity) as well as solicitation of maternal care, and across all neonate primates, background matching, and Gloger's rule (dark coats being associated with humid environments). Materials and Methods:To examine the functional significance of neonate pelage coloration, we employed five different measures of distinctive coat coloration, new updated information on primate life histories, and a complete primate phylogeny of 286 species to control for shared ancestry.Results: Across primates, we found a strong association between distinctive natal coats and the prevalence of infanticide but no support for allomothering or confusing paternity. We also found that species in which young have distinct natal coats have relatively shorter interbirth intervals, as well as a tendency to be weaned earlier which is unrelated to allomothering. Darker primate natal coats (whether distinctive or not) are not found in shadier, warmer, or wetter habitats.Discussion: While distinct natal coats in primates are generally found in infanticidal species, we argue on logical grounds that this is not an advertisement to incoming males but instead neonate coloration solicits greater maternal care. This enables infants to pass through this infanticide-induced mortality-prone infant phase more rapidly. Conspicuous neonate coats in comparison to adults appear to act as a supernormal stimulus for mothers to hasten post-natal development of their offspring.

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Infant Pelage Color Change and Infant Handling in Captive Black-and-White Colobus

Cited by 2 publications

References 24 publications

Examining infantile facial features and their influence on caretaking behaviors in free-ranging Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)

Examining infantile facial features and their influence on caretaking behaviors in free-ranging Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)

On the evolution of distinctive natal coat coloration in primates

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