Milk yield and composition in mice: Effects of litter size and lactation number

Knight, Christopher H.; Maltz, E.; Docherty, Ann H.

doi:10.1016/0300-9629(86)90054-x

Cited by 101 publications

(74 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…This result is similar to that observed in rodents, for which, within the normal range of litter sizes, larger mothers are frequently capable of supporting higher growth rates in larger litters (Mattingly and McClure 1982;Knight et al 1986) while at smaller litter sizes, infant growth is limited (Knight et al 1986;Hammond et al 1996).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

“…While some of these studies found no relationships (Hansson 1992;Hare and Murie 1992;Morris 1996; for reviews see Mattingly and McClure 1982;Festa-Bianchet et al 1998), others found positive relationships between maternal size and measures of reproductive investment such as litter size, number of young weaned, and growth rates of young within a given litter size (e.g., house mice: Knight et al 1986; cotton rats: Mattingly and McClure 1985; ground squirrels: Dobson and Michener 1995;Neuhaus 2000;bighorn sheep: Festa-Bianchet et al 1998; gray seals: Iverson et al 1993). When positive relationships are found, they are often only seen under certain circumstances, leading Mattingly and McClure (1985) to suggest that "body mass of the mother (or some associated factor such as fat content) becomes increasingly important as food availability decreases and reproductive costs increase."…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Effects might be expected to be pronounced in smallbodied species that generally have a high energetic investment in lactation relative to basal metabolic energy needs because they support relatively fast growth in large litters. In such cases, decreased energy availability (e.g., food restriction) or increased energy demands (e.g., decreased temperature, increased litter size) can result in the enhanced reproductive performance of larger relative to smaller mothers (mice: Knight et al 1986; cotton rats: McClure 1982, 1985;ground squirrels: Neuhaus 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Optimal lactation performance and maximal neonatal growth for a species generally occurs at a modal litter size typical for feral representatives of that species, with poorer growth and survival in both litters that are unusually large (Mattingly and McClure 1982;Thompson 1983;Knight et al 1986;Konig et al 1988;Leamy 1992;Arnbom et al 1997) or unusually small (Knight et al 1986;Hammond et al 1996). Given these findings, we propose that marmosets will be adapted to produce a maximal individual growth rate in twins.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lactation, maternal behavior and infant growth in common marmoset monkeys ( Callithrix jacchus ): effects of maternal size and litter size

Tardif

Power

Oftedal

et al. 2001

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

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We examined the relationship between lactation performance and infant growth in a captive population of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) that varied in both maternal and litter size. Though common marmosets display a typical primate pattern of dilute milk and relatively slow infant growth rates (factors associated with low daily lactation investment and minimal maternal size effects), we hypothesized that the marmoset's small body size would make lactation investment more sensitive to maternal size than is true for largerbodied primates. Smaller mothers rearing twins had lower milk fat, lower gross energy in milk samples collected in mid to late lactation and lower nursing-bout frequencies than did large mothers nursing twins. Lactation performance and maternal behavior did not differ between large and small mothers when rearing singletons, with a single exception: small mothers had a lower gross energy in mid-lactation milk samples. Relative growth rates in twins but not singletons were affected by maternal size, such that small mothers supported more growth per infant when rearing singletons while large mothers supported more growth per infant when rearing twins. Among the larger mothers, only, older mothers supported somewhat, though not significantly, less growth per infant, regardless of litter size. Twin infants of small mothers appeared to respond to below-optimal levels of milk yield by initiating maternal carrying less often. The relative energy intake of mothers was similar regardless of litter or maternal size. Small mothers rearing twins drew more heavily on reserves, reflected in a linear weight loss during lactation; however, the reserves drawn upon were inadequate to meet the lactation demand, resulting in lower milk energy output. In addition, small mothers rearing twins were more likely to be ill and less likely to be fertile in the year following lactation than were large mothers of twins or mothers of any size rearing singletons.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Lactation, maternal behavior and infant growth in common marmoset monkeys ( Callithrix jacchus ): effects of maternal size and litter size

Tardif

Power

Oftedal

et al. 2001

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

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“…Moreover, teats differ in their productivity (Barnard et al, 1998), exacerbating sibling competition over the most productive nipples (usually the anterior ones). Females have been shown to increase milk supply as litter size increases (Knight et al, 1986), which may mitigate competition on average but, at the same time, per capita milk supply may decrease and thus competition will increase.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genotype-dependent responses to levels of sibling competition over maternal resources in mice

2011

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Research on phenotypic plasticity has often focused on how a given genotype responds to the changing physical environments such as temperature or diet. However, for many species the social environment has an equally important role because of competition for resources. During early development, the level of competition for limited (maternally provided) resources will often depend critically on the number of siblings. Therefore, competition among siblings should drive the evolution of genes that allow flexible responses to realized levels of competition and maternal resource availability. However, it is unknown whether genetically based differences between individuals exist in their response to the social environment that affect their future development. Using a quantitative trait locus approach in an experimental population of mice we demonstrate that effects of sibling number on body weight depend on individual genotype at seven loci, over and above the general negative litter size effect. Overall, these litter size-by-genotype interactions considerably modified the degree to which increasing litter size caused reduced weight. For example at one locus this effect leads to a 7% difference in body weight at week 7 between individuals experiencing the extremes of the normal range of litter sizes in our population (five to nine litter mates). The observed interaction between genotype and the competitive environment can produce differences in body weight that are similar in magnitude to the main effect of litter size on weight. Our results show that different genotypes respond to the social environment differentially and that interaction effects of genotype with litter size can be as important as genotype-independent effects of litter size.

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