Why do New World monkey fathers have enhanced prolactin levels?

Schradin, Carsten; Anzenberger, Gustl

doi:10.1002/evan.10073

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…10 June 2009 14:8 examining the hormonal basis of paternal care, we are compelled to signal the correlational nature of most of the evidence and the bidirectionality of hormone-behavior interactions (Almond et al 2008, Schradin & Anzenberger 2002. Prolactin, a peptide secreted by the anterior pituitary gland, has long been associated with maternal care in birds and mammals (Ziegler 2000).…”

Section: Arimentioning

confidence: 99%

The Biology of Paternal Care in Human and Nonhuman Primates

Fernández-Duque

Valeggia

Mendoza

2009

Annu. Rev. Anthropol.

179

113

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Among primates, intense paternal care is manifested in only a few distantly related species, including humans. Thus, neither purely phylogenetic nor socioecological hypotheses can explain its presence or the variability in the expression of paternal behaviors. Traditional theoretical models for the evolution of paternal care can now be reexamined, focusing on male-female interactions as a possible key to understanding parental strategies. At a proximate level, the existing evidence implies a common physiological substrate for both paternal behavior and pairbonds. Vasopressin, and perhaps prolactin and testosterone, apparently underlies the endocrinological bases of paternal care, and neuroanatomical reward pathways may be involved in the formation of attachment bonds. Understanding of the genetic structure of primate populations and the neurogenetics of social behavior is also emerging. A multidisciplinary approach that also considers epigenetic and transgenerational effects promises to open new avenues to explain the flexible nature of paternal care in primates.

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Section: Arimentioning

confidence: 99%

The Biology of Paternal Care in Human and Nonhuman Primates

Fernández-Duque

Valeggia

Mendoza

2009

Annu. Rev. Anthropol.

179

113

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“…Prolactin effects on parenting behavior have been examined both within the family and outside of the family context [Schradin & Anzenberger, 2002]. Dixson & George [1982] demonstrated that high levels of prolactin were associated with carrying by fathers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Male parenting and response to infant stimuli in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

Zahed¹,

Prudom²,

Snowdon³

et al. 2007

American J Primatol

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Callithrix jacchus infants are raised in complex family environments where most members participate in rearing the young. Many studies examining male parental behavior have focused on the carrying of infants with observations made within the family context. However, interference from family members can make it difficult to assess the father's motivation to care for infants. Our goals were to develop a testing paradigm for determining an individual's response to infant stimuli separate from family influences, compare a male's motivation to respond to an infant stimulus outside the family with his paternal behavior within the family, to compare responses to infant stimuli of parentally experienced versus inexperienced males and finally to develop a reproducible and standardized method of testing male responsiveness to infant stimulus that could serve to evaluate hormonal manipulations. Fifteen experienced common marmoset fathers were evaluated using three different measures of parental behavior: (1) instantaneous scan sampling, (2) continuous focal sampling in the family, and (3) continuous focal sampling of males presented with four infant stimuli: familiar and unfamiliar infants, familiar and unfamiliar infant vocalizations. Six parentally inexperienced males (non-fathers) served as controls. Males that carried the most in the family were typically the same males that responded most to the infant vocalization tests. Experienced fathers did not differ in their latency to enter the stimulus cage for any of the four infant stimuli response tests while inexperienced males took significantly longer to enter the stimulus cage. In addition, fathers expressed a greater frequency of infant-directed behavior than did the inexperienced males during the unfamiliar infant and unfamiliar vocalization tests. These studies show that experienced male marmosets are highly motivated to interact with infant stimuli and that there is interindividual variability in response to infant vocalizations. Testing males outside of the family allows for a clear assessment of male's interest in infant stimuli in both parentally experienced fathers and inexperienced males.

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“…In contrast to the paucity of studies on prolactin and maternal behavior in primate mothers, numerous investigators have evaluated a possible role of prolactin in promoting paternal and alloparental care in primates (reviewed by Ziegler, 2000; Schradin and Anzenberger, 2002; Fernandez-Duque et al, 2009). Circulating or urinary prolactin concentrations are often elevated in fathers in biparental species, and in nonbreeding alloparents, as compared to other adult males and nonbreeders (e.g., common marmoset: Dixson and George, 1982; Schradin et al, 2003; cotton-top tamarin: Ziegler et al, 1996b; coppery titi monkey, Callicebus cupreus: Schradin et al, 2003; squirrel monkey, Saimiri sciureus : Soltis et al, 2005), and may correlate with responsiveness to infants (e.g., common marmoset: Dixson and George, 1982; human: Storey et al, 2000; Fleming et al, 2002; Gordon et al, 2010) or prior experience with infants (cotton-top tamarin: Ziegler et al, 1996b; human: Fleming et al, 2002).…”

Section: Prolactin and Placental Lactogenmentioning

confidence: 99%

The neuroendocrinology of primate maternal behavior

Saltzman

Maestripieri

2011

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry

118

112

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In nonhuman primates and humans, similar to other mammals, hormones are not strictly necessary for the expression of maternal behavior, but nevertheless influence variation in maternal responsiveness and parental behavior both within and between individuals. A growing number of correlational and experimental studies have indicated that high circulating estrogen concentrations during pregnancy increase maternal motivation and responsiveness to infant stimuli, while effects of prepartum or postpartum estrogens and progestogens on maternal behavior are less clear. Prolactin is thought to play a role in promoting paternal and alloparental care in primates, but little is known about the relationship between this hormone and maternal behavior. High circulating cortisol levels appear to enhance arousal and responsiveness to infant stimuli in young, relatively inexperienced female primates, but interfere with the expression of maternal behavior in older and more experienced mothers. Among neuropeptides and neurotransmitters, preliminary evidence indicates that oxytocin and endogenous opioids affect maternal attachment to infants, including maintenance of contact, grooming, and responses to separation. Brain serotonin affects anxiety and impulsivity, which in turn may affect maternal behaviors such as infant retrieval or rejection of infants' attempts to make contact with the mother. Although our understanding of the neuroendocrine correlates of primate maternal behavior has grown substantially in the last two decades, very little is known about the mechanisms underlying these effects, e.g., the extent to which these mechanisms may involve changes in perception, emotion, or cognition.

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Why do New World monkey fathers have enhanced prolactin levels?

Cited by 6 publications

References 29 publications

The Biology of Paternal Care in Human and Nonhuman Primates

The Biology of Paternal Care in Human and Nonhuman Primates

Male parenting and response to infant stimuli in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

The neuroendocrinology of primate maternal behavior

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