Animal Parenting

Multiple cases of primate mothers carrying and providing care to deceased infants have been observed. From chimpanzees and geladas to spider, squirrel, Japanese, and snub-nosed monkeys, mothers of diverse species have been known to carry […]

Adult male killer whales are the world’s biggest mama’s boys. Literally. Matriarchs strongly protect their adult sons, keep them free from agonistic interactions with other groups or individuals, and make sure that they get enough […]

Primates are the most well-observed group of animals when it comes to the topic of a mother’s reaction to offspring death. Cases of continued postmortem maternal care have been observed across several species of monkeys […]

Physiological, social, and environmental elements have influenced the evolution of the immense diversity in maternal behaviour across the mammalian order. There are two general phases of the establishment of maternal care in primates: the initial […]

For mothers, there is nothing more painful than losing a child. The unfortunate truth in the animal kingdom is that it happens all the time in a variety of circumstances. Causes of Death We call […]

In mammals, embryos can exist in a state of suspended animation. It’s thought that this ability to store fertilized embryos originally evolved to maximize reproductive success. In embryonic diapause, the uterus either sends a signal […]

Nazca boobies are ground-nesting colonial seabirds that exhibit unique pseudomothering behaviour. In any given year, there are reproductive females whose nests have failed. While busy parents are off foraging for food for their nestlings, which […]